Re-Call Effort a Waste of Money

I have been following the re-call of PUSD Trustee, Andy Patapow. Keith Wilson, Christopher Garnier and their supporters have set out on a journey that if followed through, will cost taxpayers anywhere from $160,000 to $800,000. To unseat a trustee whose term expires in one year. To help people understand the costs and effects of this effort, I gathered information about the re-call effort.

The SD Registrar of Voters provided the following information. To qualify this effort for election, proponents must serve the incumbent a copy of a “Notice of Intention” to re-call him/her from office. Within seven (7) days the proponents file with the Registrar the original “Notice of Intention” and an affidavit of time and manner of service of the “Notice of Intention”. The “Notice of Intention” must be signed by at least ten (10) registered, qualified voters. Wilson struggled to get this part of the process right. Twice it was rejected for having persons signing the “Notice of Intention” that were not “qualified” to do so. The third try (three is a charm) was certified by the Registrar. The effected candidate is given seven (7) days to submit a 200 word statement disputing the re-call effort. Wilson then must have the petition prepared within ten (10) days. There are a number of technical requirements for this step. The Registrar notifies the proponents in writing the findings as to whether form and wording of the petition meets requirements of the Election Code. Once the petition is approved (rumor has it this process has been completed), the petition can then be circulated for signatures. The proponents have up to 160 days to gather and submit signatures for approval. To cause an election, 10,600 signatures will be required. That is 10,600 VALID, registered, PUSD voter signatures. Once the signatures are submitted, the signatures on the petitions are verified. This will cost the petitioner $25,000. IF the petitioner gathers the necessary 10,600 VALID signatures, an election will be called. The election would be called within 125 days.

So, let’s try and do the math. Today is November 6, 2015. Based on comments from Garnier, the form and wording has been approved. The clock is ticking for the gathering of signatures. Using 120 days as a base number (they can take up to 160 days) for submitting the signatures, that puts the date at around March 1, 2016. The Registrar will take thirty (30) days to verify the signatures and we are at April 1, 2016. The election must be held 88-125 days from the date the election is called for. This then makes the election sometime in June 2016, given the best of circumstances for the proponents of the re-call. Andy Patapow’s term is up in December of 2016. There is a clause in the election code that prohibits the recall of an incumbent who has six (6) months or less to serve in his/her term. So, what is the real point of this re-call?

If the recall election is actually held, the cost for the election must be paid for from the PUSD operating budget. The cost will vary depending on if it is held on a normal election day, a Primary election day or as a special election. The cost of the election if held with the June Primary is upwards of $200,000. A special election could cost $800,000 or more.

We are back to motivation.

I have written about Garnier’s motivations. The reasons cited in the “Notice of Intention” cite the CAB’s as reason for the re-call effort. The real reason is the failure of Beatty and Sellers to garner support for the removal of Dr. Collins. Kimberley Beatty and Charles Sellers are privately (and maybe in the future) publicly supporting this recall, hoping to eliminate Andy Patapow and get a person who thinks like they do, so they can move forward with removing Dr. Collins. Beatty and Seller’s have "de facto" voted to waste tax payer dollars, simply because they can't get their way and fire Dr. Collins - and refuse to work honorably with him through the end of his contract. Their support of such a waste of tax payer funds may open them up to recall. This is a sad state of affairs.

Andy Patapow has devoted 50 years of his life to PUSD as a Principal and Board Member and has done nothing to merit re-call. I could write for hours about the positive contributions Andy has provided students of the PUSD. This re-call effort is a spiteful action against a man of integrity and honor, by a group of angry, disgruntled people, who have an agenda that is not focused on children and education. It is time to send them a message.

Do not support this re-call effort.