Here’s why recall elections seldom if ever work to remove someone from office:
Time is on the side of the officeholder, who gets to run out a good portion of the clock.
You could validly argue that it is only fair to make it tough on recallers, and you’d be right. They have to come up with a certain number of valid recall petition signatures in a very short time.
But of course, the recalled incumbent has on his or her side the benefit of name recognition among voters. (Note that I said, “among voters,” not “among most people.” Last week a local television station went to Mesa and asked passersby and drivers whether they had heard of someone named Russell Pearce. None had.)
And once the signatures are in and verified by elections officials, there’s an election, right?
Well, yes and no. Upon the validation of 10,365 signatures when only 7,756 were required to recall Pearce, the Mesa Republican state senator best known for immigration legislation, several days ago the governor indeed called an election for Nov. 8.
Yet in such a heavily Republican district it would be nearly impossible to unseat Pearce, who is Senate president, unless the victor was a fellow Republican. But stepping forward to run in a recall election — which tells the whole GOP world that you are crossing paths with the Republican establishment — means virtual political exile if you lose or if the election is called off for lack of valid signatures.
Which is why no one has yet formally stepped forward, and with each day that goes by without a recall campaign means one more day tipping the advantage to the incumbent.
Pearce told The Associated Press last week that his lawyers are, ahem, still reviewing the signature-validation process. (He had better hope they don’t charge by the hour.)
He has until Monday to decide whether to challenge the validity of the signatures, and it should come as no surprise that he is taking every possible day allowed him to decide whether to mount a legal challenge.
As reported in the Tribune, a 54-year-old charter school executive, Jerry Lewis of Mesa, has said he will formally announce next week whether he will run. But if Pearce announces he’s going to court, Lewis, a conservative Republican, could well be expected to decide to take a few more days to think things over.
Whoever runs against Pearce has only from the day he or she announces that fact until Sept. 9 to gather 621 valid signatures, which in this political climate means a total of more than 1,000 will need to be collected chiefly during, wow, August. Vacations plus sticky monsoon heat and dust equals a much tougher signature-gathering task than it would be in February.
If Pearce announces Monday he’s not going to court, if Lewis (or anyone else) announces his candidacy that same day he’ll have just 53 days to get those names on petitions and his name on voters’ minds.
You don’t have to agree with Pearce to have the view that, even though this is apparently the first time in nearly 100 years of statehood that Arizonans would have ever recalled a sitting legislators, Pearce’s conduct in office does not rise to the level of recall.
At least Pearce speaks in complete sentences, makes rational arguments and generally fulfills the duties of a state senator expected by citizens. In contrast, consider the most famous recall effort in state history, against Gov. Evan Mecham in 1987, which was based in rather significant part on Mecham’s repeated racist remarks — spoken without remorse — and accusations that the attorney general was spying on him using laser beams.
The recall effort against Mecham had gathered far more than the required number of valid signatures. The election was not held only because the Legislature had already impeached and removed him from office.
So many voters don’t like Pearce’s stands on immigration or that he accepted gifts from the Fiesta Bowl. While many disagree with these views, neither one rises to the laser-beam level.
So, mindful that the recall process is politically flawed and should only be used once every several decades, 2012, not 2011, should be the time to decide on Russell Pearce’s political future. As most politics-weary Arizonans know, 2012’s already much closer than you may think.
• Mark J. Scarp (mscarp1@cox.net) is a Tribune contributing columnist whose views are published here on Sundays.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 8:12 am on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
Sadly, this Columnist is going to be proved wrong this time.
Senator Russell Pearce, the "Father" of Arizona's monumental "Anti-Illegal Alien Immigration Bill" will go down in defeat this November. Politically, he is "dead man walking" until then.
Come Recall Election Day in November, just 4 months away, Mesa, Arizona and the United States will find out just how organized the Mormon Church was in defeating Senator Pearce.
On Election Day, you will see 25 cars with drivers, assigned to "shuttle" non-driving Mesa Mormon Voters from each of the 50+ Wards that are all over Mesa. Every Ward member voter who needs a ride to the polls will be assigned a "pick-up" time.
The D-Day Invasion was not as well-planed as this Recall Election.
Who has the Mormon Church "blessed" to replace SB 1070's "Father", Mesa Senator Rusell Pearch (who's own son, a Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy was shot in 2002 by a Mexican Illegal Alien criminal) ???
NON-OTHER THAN...........MESA MORMON BISHOP JERRY LEWIS......WHO'S QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB OF ARIZONA STATE SENATOR INCLUDE BEING A;
1. MORMON BISHOP AND ELDER
2. HIGH RANKING BOYS SCOUTS OF AMERICA LEADER
3. CHARTER SCHOOL TEACHER
4. OOOOPPPPPPPS.....SORRY...THERE IS NO.....4.
DataMan posted at 10:17 am on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
Just like the Pearce lemmings that claimed that there would never be enough sigs gathered to force Pearce into a recall, this guy will be proven wrong.
Why doesn't it mention the author is nothing but a shill for Pearce? Can he name ONE things that Pearce has done right? That passed legal muster and helped his district?
Only about 5 people in LD18 contributed to Pearce's election campaign in 2010. This won't be a cake walk for the guy that was fired from MCSO, then fired from MVD, and soon to be fired from the AZ Senate. Will Lori Klein try to protect him with her little pink gun?
Haddie Nuff posted at 10:39 am on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
Any elected official serves at the will of his or her constituents. At any point those constituents may withdraw their support and fire the official, and it doesn't matter whether or not there is a good reason for it. Recall is a legal and legitimate process, and an important feature of our system of checks and balances.
I grow weary of contrived outrage and excuses that say the Pearce recall is an 'abuse of power,' or' uncalled for.' Enough signatures from Pearce's district have been submitted and verified to demand an election. That is all that matters and all that is relevant. It is the people's right to recall, and to suggest otherwise questions our system of elections.
If you support Pearce and you live in his district, that's fine. By all means go to the poll on Nov 8 and vote for him. Do not, however, question that the process is somehow unfair or unjust!
NothingButTheTruth posted at 11:03 am on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
DataMan, there is so much hatred for what Pearce has done towards trying to get control over an illegal immigration problem that the feds have ignored, it's hard to tell just what yours or anyone's true motives are in wanting Pearce to be gone by any means necessary. Everything you state in your comment was known about Pearce before he ran for state senate the first time except for the bogus issue with the fiesta bowl, and the people elected him. If this so called fiesta bowl scandal had anything real to it except in the minds of those who have an unnaturally deep seated hatred for Pearce, something would have come out of it. For the majority of this state, what Pearce has done to rid our state of the problems that have besieged California and is driving California into ruin is more than enough to get him reelected for as long as he wants the job. If this recall election moves forward, and it might not, there will be many charges thrown about, but there will only be one single issue, and that will be illegal immigration. Do the voters want a Mr NiceGuy that will allow illegals to overrun our state, or do they want a man that will fight this invasion of illegal aliens that are sweeping across America everyday. What do you want DataMan?
NothingButTheTruth posted at 11:25 am on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
"and it doesn't matter whether or not there is a good reason for it." Over 150 thousand dollars I hope to God there is a good reason for it. Perhaps we should hold recalls every 6 months, whether we need to or not, so that Haddie Nuff wont grow weary. The process is both fair and just, just ridiculously unnecessary, and brought by people who are in the minority on the one single issue that this recall is about. The one issue that makes them hate Pearce so strongly they would waste every dime you own trying to unseat him.
Please help a national and Arizona American Hero by donating to his recall election campaign. Senator Russell Pearce the author of Senate Bill 1070 is under attack from the liberal left for giving the state the authority to enforce the laws President Obama and Secretary Nappy refuse to enforce.
These liberal leaders, who support Amnesty for those who broke our laws, are recalling Senator Pearce because of his leadership to secure our border.
Stand with him today and send President Obama, Secretary Nappy and their liberal friends a message that we will never give up the fight to secure our borders.
National liberal groups are pouring thousands of dollars into the effort to remove Senator Russell Pearce from office. He needs your immediate financial support. Please donate as much as you can to support a true American Patriot, the author of SB 1070, and a leading voice to secure our borders.
http://protectanamericanpatriot.com/
AmericanPatriot posted at 11:53 am on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
Arizona Senators must run for reelection every two years. So explain what Senate President Russell Pearce has done so wrong that we should have to spend over $150,000 on a recall election in the middle of his two year term? Wouldn't it be wiser just to wait a year and vote him out then? I contend that hate knows no reason for what it does. Hate began this recall attempt in January 2011 not long after Pearce won reelection. Why? Hate can't stand Pearce's stance on illegal immigration. Hate will do anything it can to unseat this nationally well liked man who has spent his entire life fighting for the rights off Arizona citizens. Hate is stealing $150,000 out of your pocket in this attempt to get back at Pearce for what he has done to get illegal immigration under control. People, his isn't about local politics. The people who are orchestrating this recall are not local. National groups that promote illegal immigration are behind this effort and they need to be sent a very clear message that we will not allow them to harm our leaders who fight for our freedom and nationality. We are America!
In_God_We_Trust posted at 1:30 pm on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
Do any of you really doubt the dangers of what Russell Pearce has been fighting against with these anti illegal immigration laws? Here is an article by a medical doctor that puts the danger in perspective. Think about your children people.
Democrats import illegal voters with communicable diseases
- Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh Saturday, July 16, 2011
America was built on the backs, hands, and minds of legal immigrants. We all came from somewhere else, except the Native Americans. We fled from religious persecution, communist tyranny, oppressive monarchies and regimes, legal entanglements, murder raps, theft, moral and financial responsibility to others.
We longed for the lure of riches and unbound freedom, but most of all, we desired the opportunity to be better off than our fathers and ancestors.
Lady Liberty welcomed us all, initially at Ellis Island, where thousands and thousands of newly arrived would-be Americans, gaunt and ragged from the arduous Atlantic passage remained on board three or four days in the harbor, then in quarantine before they were allowed inland. Wealthier crossers were processed on board the ship.
The would-be Americans, particularly the poor ones, suffered indignities at times but there was no ACLU to sue for their unjust treatment – they were thankful to be allowed onto the Land of Opportunity.
Proud, intelligent people with dreams, representing every country in the Old World, poured into America, bringing their cultures with them into the melting pot. They entered the enormous Ellis Island Receiving Station, the “Hall of Tears,” as it was known, on “Heartbreak Island.” Some family members were separated in the long lines, some were accepted, some rejected. Painful decisions had to be made quickly. People’s names were entered in records misspelled or changed on purpose to suit the clerk’s whims or inability to spell.
If they survived the treacherous Atlantic boat crossing and received a clean bill of health after the quarantine, they were free to explore their new country and make their dreams a reality through hard work, self-reliance, and perseverance. One such immigrant from Italy entered Ellis Island in 1902 and became a naturalized citizen in 1908.
In the last twenty years, immigration enforcement has become so lax that now, illegal immigrants are causing huge financial and social burdens on Americans in spite of La Rasa’s claim that they do the jobs that Americans refuse to do. According to Democrats and the sycophant media, they are “undocumented workers,” not illegal aliens. Only in the irrational progressive mind is someone, who is deliberately breaking the law of this country, an undocumented worker and must be rewarded with citizenship, free schooling, housing, food stamps, medical care, and free or in-state tuition for their children.
The liberal media refuses to discuss the burden millions of illegals place on this country’s resources. They steal benefits from American citizens who have worked and paid Social Security and Medicaid taxes their entire lives and now are unable to draw benefits because the promised lock box is empty.
Hundreds and thousands of hospitals are strained or bankrupt because of the gratis care they must extend to illegal aliens. Having anchor babies in hospitals at taxpayer expense while the rest of Americans have to bankrupt themselves paying hospital bills is an injustice that lawmakers should have addressed long time ago.
An important issue that threatens the health of our nation is the communicable disease emergence, ills that have been eradicated in this country years ago.
Diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, pertussis or whooping cough, dengue fever, hepatitis, Chagas are prevalent in third world countries and are being transported to the U.S. via illegal immigrants who are not checked and given treatment or vaccinations.
Whooping cough is a disease associated with lack of sanitation in third world countries. Places of high concentration of illegals experience sudden problems of disease related to the developing world. The media in Smithtown, Long Island, reports “dozens” of whooping cough cases without making the connection to the culprits.
Dysentery, a deadly and very contagious disease for babies has been found to have infected a Phoenix Police officer. Not washing hands or laundering clothes aids in the spread of dysentery.
Malaria, which was eradicated sixty years ago, has re-appeared in California, New York City, and Houston, centers of high concentration of illegal aliens. Blood supplies infected with malaria have also been found in our cities.
Dengue fever, a virus-based disease spread by mosquitoes, which kills millions of children in third world countries, is now increasingly found in the U.S. where immigrants both legal and illegal congregate.
Leprosy currently known as Hansen’s disease to hide its presence is steadily rising with the invasion of illegal aliens and has accelerated since 2002.
“Hepatitis A-E is making people sick across the country. Chronically suffering illegal aliens who work in our restaurants, are sneaking across our borders from oil-rich Mexico to receive the free $1,500 per patient treatment. Not only do we pay for these treatments with our tax dollars but also we unwittingly become infected with hepatitis. Some forms are transmitted through unwashed hands while handling food, others through blood donations or contact with infected blood.
Tuberculosis, another deadly disease found in Mexico at a rate ten times higher than the U.S., is popping up nationwide wherever illegals are concentrated. More than half of the medical reporting districts in California have active TB cases. To make matters worse, a new incurable type of TB, XDR strain (extensively drug resistant) has appeared worldwide, including the United States.
Chagas disease, a tropical parasitic disease, previously found only in South America, Central America and Mexico, slowly destroys its victim’s heart and other internal organs. The Chagas Disease Foundation said, “Chagas disease affects more people than any other infectious disease in Latin America and that it ranks as the largest cause of heart disease-induced deaths in the region. The result of a bug bite that leaves behind contaminated fecal matter, the disease can be spread through contaminated food, blood transfusion, organ donation, and mother to fetus.
According to CDC, “Since initiation of voluntary blood screening for Chagas disease in 2007, nearly 800 cases of confirmed Chagas disease have been detected at United States blood centers. The greatest numbers of positive donors, now deferred from donation, have been identified in those states with the largest populations of Latin American immigrants.”
“Population migration can have a profound impact on movement of infectious diseases. The relative magnitude of movement of persons from Chagas endemic countries, including an estimated 18 million to the United States illustrates the problem.” (CDC, 2009)
“Although historically Chagas disease has been considered restricted to Latin America, the disease is becoming a serious health issue in the United States because of the presence of a notable number of blood donors seropositive.” (CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol.16, No. 3, March 2010)
Legal immigrants have always been checked for communicable diseases before they were allowed to immigrate to the United States. We even require k-12 American students and college students to provide records and proof of immunization for certain childhood diseases. Why do we then think that it is a good idea to allow unchecked immigration and risk the health of our population for the sake of political votes and power?
The Democrat Party, Code Pink, ACLU, the environmental nuts with their debunked global warming, the Communist Party U.S.A. La Rasa, SEIU, other big unions, and like-minded progressives have openly embraced and invited illegal aliens into our country.
Democrats want the illegal aliens’ fraudulent vote or legal vote at all costs, including our health, when they become automatic citizens through forced Amnesty and the Dream Act for illegal alien college students. Democrats, in their quest for totalitarian control, do not care that, in the process, they have invited into our country a host of health problems. This Pandora’s Box of societal and financial ills caused by unchecked illegal immigration cannot be cured simply by spending money or signing more freedom-stealing Executive Orders.
“Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh is a freelance writer (Canada Free Press, Modern Conservative, Anystreet.org, Romanian Conservative, Lucianne) and speaker who recently published a book about her 20-year experience with communist life, “Echoes of Communism,” available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Short essays describe health care, education, poverty, social engineering, and confiscation of property, among other subjects.
Dr. Johnson can be reached at: ileana1959@gmail.com
You may or may not care about America, but at least you must care about your children. Why risk their health to ruin a great American's political career spent entirely in service to his fellow Arizonans.
rouse2 posted at 2:20 pm on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
he will win the recall and be in an even stronger position in the next general as the 'victim'. the recall idiots have really shot themselves in the foot. we will never get rid of him now.
concernedcitizen posted at 4:17 pm on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
Leon,
As a life-long member of the LDS church, I have never had my "ward" rally behind a specific candidate, in fact our church leaves it up to the members to vote for who they feel is best to represent the people. Never in over 30 years as a member have I had anyone tell me how to vote.
When it comes to moral issues that will affect humankind, the church may take a stance, but the only thing I've ever heard over the pulpit is that a certain matter is being voted on and that the church encourages us to get out and vote to express our opinion. Does that mean my opinion has to be that of the church? No!
And personally, I would vote against Russell Pearce not because of his illegal immigration bills (which were needed), but rather because he (like many politicians), is not there for the will of the people, but rather to serve his own self-interests. I think back to all the bills passed back in January that were "hush-hush" and passed very quickly by our state senate. Not one of them had to do with balancing the budget or helping our economy to get back on track. It was all pet projects.
I will give Mr. Pearce kudos for actually balancing the state budget, however it would be nice if him and other state lawmakers would get rid of the personal privileges that we as citizens pay for for them, as well as get rid of the tax loopholes for businesses, particularly those who are paying little to no tax at all. How is that benefitting the public and creating more jobs?
The more you allow businesses to get away with murder and not pay any taxes, the more they will take advantage of it, and then when you do want to reinstate some tax (no matter the amount), then they will place those extra costs on the backs of the consumers so they can keep their precious "profit margin" going.
It is like working with children, you have to set the expectation early, revisit it often, and expect it consistently, otherwise the child (in this case businesses) will throw a tantrum when they don't get what they want and will figure out a way to get what they want by some other means (in this case the backs of the taxpayers).
I'm a conservative Republican, but I am deeply disappointed with the Republican lawmakers in general in this nation for protecting their business interests/buddies, while pushing the religious/"no taxes"/anti-abortion/etc. agenda in order to get the vote of the people that support those types of things. Just because the majority of people who believe in Republican values do so because they feel they are right, does not make it ok for the lawmakers who represent such people to use those ideals as a front to further their business interests behind closed doors.
One other comment, I do agree with some of the posts here, it probably would have been better to just wait the extra year and vote him out then. But I do think having a recall election sends a strong message. "Hey Russell! Why don't you represent your constituents in your district instead of people from other cities, counties and states!"
AmericanPatriot posted at 4:48 pm on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
"I will give Mr. Pearce kudos for actually balancing the state budget, however it would be nice if him and other state lawmakers would get rid of the personal privileges that we as citizens pay for for them, as well as get rid of the tax loopholes for businesses, particularly those who are paying little to no tax at all. How is that benefitting the public and creating more jobs? "
Well for one thing there are a lot of companies getting ready to leave California, and it will create more jobs if we can produce an environment that attracts them to our Arizona.
AmericanPatriot posted at 5:11 pm on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
"Hey Russell! Why don't you represent your constituents in your district instead of people from other cities, counties and states!"
Well he is a state senator and the president of that same senate, so I think he does represent the entire state. Would be nice if all he did was try to bring home tons of bacon for us dist 18 people except there really isn't a lot of bacon to bring home. People like to say how little he has done for education (state level) so this Jerry Lewis being a school principle should look good on that issue. Truth is that balancing the budget was hard to do and everyone has to bite the bullet somewhat. So why is Arizona ranked so low in education? Sure can't be money spent per pupil since that rarely works. Could it be that our schools are filled with non English speaking children that take a great deal of time and money away from our children's education? Maybe Jerry Lewis can answer that one. Personally my children are doing fine. Maybe you should be looking to home to figure out why your children aren't passing wood shop.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:01 pm on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
SO THE MORMON CHURCH IS NOT BEHIND ..SENATOR RUSSELL PEARCE'S RECALL..............THEY WHY IS A ........MORMON BISHOP, JERRY LEWIS ....RUNNING FOR ELECTION THEN ???
FOLKS, IF YOU DO VOTE IN THIS RECALL ELECTION....YOU WILL NOTICE THE BEST-DRESSED (LONG SLEEVED WHITE SHIRTS ON THE MEN AND SUIT PANTS....NO RUNNING SHORTS OR BERMUDA SHORTS...BLACK, BLUE SOLID COLOR SOCKS, SHOES THAT HAVE SHOE LACES, WOMEN WITH THEIR HAIR PERMENED AND BRUSHED AND WEARING MODEST DRESSES [NO SPANDEX...NO BELLY-BUTTONS SHOWING...NO SLACKS...BUT DRESSES AND SKIRTS TO JUST BELOW THE KNEE....YOUNG MEN LOOKING LIKE YOUNG 18YO MEN SHOULD....A BICYCLE CLIP AROUND THE ANKLE OF THEIR RIGHT LEG AND AGAIN WEARING LONG SLEEVED WHITE SHIRTS AND TIES EVEN....OLDER VOTERS WHO LOOK LIKE THEY JUST STEPPED OUT OF A LIFE MAGAZINE COVER FROM THE 1950'S.
WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND THE POLLING PLACE COME THIS NOVEMBER ....IT WILL BE LIKE A WHAT AMERICA USED TO LOOK LIKE IN THE 1950'S....MIDDLE-CLASS, MOSTLY WHITE AND DRESSED LIKE THEY WERE GOING TO THE ..........LAWRENCE WELK SHOW.
10,000+....MORMONS VOTING TO REMOVE THE MAN WHO TRIED TO CLEAN UP THE .......ILLEGAL ALIEN INVASION OF ARIZONA......SENATOR RUSSELL PEARCE. THE FATHER OF ARIZONA'S SB 1070...A TRUE ARIZONA AND AMERICAN HERO WILL BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE BECAUSE THE MORMON CHURCH DOESN'T WANT ANY ONE OF SENATOR RUSSELL PEARCE TO GET IN THE WAY OF THE ELECTIONS OF....MORMON CONGRESSMAN JEFF FLAKE FOR US SENATOR.........AND ...MORMON PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER....MITT ROMNEY.
THEY DON'T WANT AN AMERICAN ICON LIKE SENATOR RUSSELL PEARCE TO CALL OUT THESE ...R.I.N.O.s (REPUBLICANS IN NAME ONLY) ABOUT THEIR .......PRO-ILLEGAL ALIEN IMMIGRATION... VOTING RECORD.
ASK YOURSELVES...WHY ELSE WOULD THE MORMON CHURCH BE RECALLING ANOTHER MORMON....RUSSELL PEARCE....UNLESS IT WAS ABOUT.....ILLEGAL ALIEN AMNESTY............WHY ELSE WOULD THE MORMON CHURCH BE REPLACING RUSSELL PEARCE WITH A .......MORMON BISHOP.
concernedcitizen posted at 9:45 pm on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
Wow, Leon, did you ever stop to think that maybe Jerry just figured he had as good as chance as anyone to run against Mr. Pearce? That maybe there isn't any of what you say behind his decision to run for office? Heck, I even thought about it for awhile.
By the way, I wouldn't vote against him for his stance on illegal immigration. Someone needed to take a stand in that arena. I would vote against him for other reasons, and none of that having to do with him "standing in the way of...Jeff Flake...and...Mitt Romney." (Not sure how he could stand in the way of their elections anyways, lol)
I respect your strong opinions you share, but none of what you share I have felt among members of the LDS church. I feel completely free to vote as I feel is best, which is as it should be. In fact, most of my "mormon" friends on social network sites would rather keep Pearce than recall him, and I respect their decisions. All of us have to make our decisions the best way we can with the knowledge we currently have.
Please be careful in the future to label LDS church member's actions as coming from the actual LDS church. The "Mormon Church" is not recalling Russell Pearce as you say. In reality it is that Raza guy and the other people who support illegal immigration "rights" (if they can even be called that, you and I lose our rights when we break the law).
It is interesting, not only is the recall election being promoted by Raza (who does not live in District 18) and other people across the country, the main entities supporting Pearce also live outside District 18. I'd be interested to know the facts on donations both for and against from inside District 18.
One more comment, thanks for the compliment. The world needs more people who wear modest clothing and who take good care of themselves and their families. :)
In_God_We_Trust posted at 9:52 pm on Sun, Jul 17, 2011.
Leon, my best guess is that no one but a republican Mormon could beat Pearce in dist 18. This ex bishop school teacher Mormon who hasn't got any experience save that of a bean counter is exactly what the leftist open border, pro illegal alien crowd needs to fulfill their desire to punish the right over going after their illegal alien voters. What we need are several democrats to dilute the leftist votes. It should prove interesting.
azconan posted at 7:06 am on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
GOODBYE MR. Pearce. Im so tired of many of you on here. " Oh this recall will never happen" " Oh theyll never get enough signtures" " Oh theyll prove the signatures invalid" " Oh theyll never get a viable candidate to run against him".
Well youve been wrong every step of the way. GOODBYE Mr.Pearce. This is what happens when you concentrate on one idalogical thing and totally disregard what really is important. The economy, jobs, housing, and budget. Yet, Mr.Pearce only had one brown issue on his mind . One and one only.
Wait, he had one other too, taking money from the Fiesta Bowl. Probably needed it to bail his son out of jail again.
Goodbye Mr. Pearce. Next time you decide who can and cannot go into a public meeting based on their political views it will be in boy scouts because youll never hold public office again.
GOODBYE and GOOD RIDDANCE
ninerguy posted at 8:13 am on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
Some of you supporters of pearce seem to think the recall is due to his stand on illegal immigration. Actually the immigration piece has very little to do with the recall. As senate president pearce had the service of the entire senate at his every wish and call. He directed senators, such as Lori Klein, to make donkeys of themselves in public, as she has done several times now. He directed senators to introduce bills that HE wanted passed and he killed bills that he wasn't in favor of, by not sending them to committees for review. He spent countless hours of legislative time and money to pass bills such as a state gun, while ignoring the state budget issue, health care, and jobs creation.
pearce routinely spouts numbers that simply cannot be validated. He is the champion of misinformation and he spews mindlessly on about whatever comes to mind regardless of the issue he is asked about.
He took $39K worth of 'gifts' from the Fiesta Bowl, and still has not repaid those gifts, as invoiced by the Fiesta Bowl.
Now that he has been formally recalled his only recourse is to challenge the recall, wasting his time and money, and then campaign for election in November.
Mr. Lewis will be a new voice and is apparently someone who might actually be able to read and understand the U.S. Constitution and it's intent and application.
It appears Mr. Lewis has never been fired from employment.
pearce has been fired from most of his government jobs he has held as an adult.
AmericanPatriot posted at 10:44 am on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
"He spent countless hours of legislative time and money to pass bills such as a state gun, while ignoring the state budget issue, health care, and jobs creation."
ninerguy, he balanced the budget. Health care had to be cut back, and jobs creation is a job only the private sector can do. Obama creates jobs by creating more government that costs the taxpayers more money. Is that what you want Pearce to do? Pearce has cut business taxes in order to make Arizona a better place for businesses to want to establish here, and that creates jobs. Every politician took fiesta bowl money. It isn't illegal. Some gave theirs back so people like you couldn't smear their names in the mud over nothing at all. Your arguments are week kneed and provided for you by his enemies. They wont hold up in the election, but don't let that stop you from trying. lol
AmericanPatriot posted at 10:57 am on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
azconan is tired. Yes azconan, we know you're tired. We also know how tiring it must be to continually state the same tired old message that never had any merit and never will. Of course, the brown issue. I must say you have come up with a nicer way of calling him a racist KKK member with "the brown issue" than most of your brethren. Sounds so much more compelling except that illegal immigration isn't a "brown issue" as illegal isn't a color or a race or so I thought. Maybe you meant "a nationality issue" Yes Pearce has a nationality issue with people of other nationalities who steal into our country to steal the American Dream. Why this continual drone on about the fiesta bowl money that Pearce didn't take like a thief in the night. It was given to him and other legislators.
First, the Bowl management violated the law by inviting the elected officials to games...and claiming that they had invited entire committees. Which is legal. The tickets were legal if the Bowl invited entire committees, and only the Bowl officials could have known what invitations went out. Again, elected officials take the hit for the Bowl management's mistake.
Now the Bowl's management has decided to bill the lawmakers for the trips themselves. This despite the fact that the trips were clearly legal and were offered as business trips. Do you travel for business? Can you imagine if your employer decided to retroactively charge you for your last five years of business travel?
To their credit, most of the legislators have told the Fiesta Bowl to pound sand.
AmericanPatriot posted at 10:59 am on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
Please help a national and Arizona American Hero by donating to his recall election campaign. Senator Russell Pearce the author of Senate Bill 1070 is under attack from the liberal left for giving the state the authority to enforce the laws President Obama and Secretary Napolitano refuse to enforce.
These liberal leaders, who support Amnesty for those who broke our laws, are recalling Senator Pearce because of his leadership to secure our border.
Stand with him today and send President Obama, Secretary Napolitano and their liberal friends a message that we will never give up the fight to secure our borders.
National liberal groups are pouring thousands of dollars into the effort to remove Senator Russell Pearce from office. He needs your immediate financial support. Please donate as much as you can to support a true American Patriot, the author of SB 1070, and a leading voice to secure our borders.
http://protectanamericanpatriot.com/
Accuracy posted at 1:06 pm on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
Critics organizer “Open Border” Randy Parraz’s direct quote; “If We Can Recall SB1070 Author Russell Pearce, WE CAN RECALL ANYBODY!”
But, when the U.S. Supreme Court takes up Arizona law (SB 1070) case and makes the proper ruling, Conservative voters of Mesa's Legislative District 18 will take notice. Even the Mormons also will. Because, just like SB 1070, Utah’s HB 497 immigration law passed by Mormon-controlled legislature this year will also benefit from the Supreme Court ruling.
As Mark J. Scarp stated, "Pearce recall uncalled for"
azwayne posted at 4:36 pm on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
Anti-Pearce can't even agree on their reason for recall. Looks like a bunch of sheeple following "Community Organizer" "Labor Organizer" Randy Parraz, who never had a web site even, can't find any info about him, where he came from, and who funded the group. Very good chance you could follow the money link to his messiah in the white house. Birds of a feather, and you are who you associate with. What better way to push amnesty than get the real leader out of the way. Even easier and cheaper than using racist Holder. How many trips did Parraz make tot the white house are records open? I'm sure satified with legitimacy of signatures, aren't you? 8,000 out oa 18000 thrown out so far, I would like to see how checked. And I hope there will be unbiased observers at the polls. It would be great if ballots were LEGAL. Just a small part of United States Constitution. This will be a practice for the abortion of election coming in 2012. The rewards for MR PARRAZ is to steal democratic slot for next year? Maybe they just bus the voters over to that district next time. They need 25 chevvys to haul voters to polls, because they don't have licenses? Where's their ID for voting??
NothingButTheTruth posted at 6:06 pm on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
Not only is it uncalled for, but as it turns out, the signature gatherers incorrectly did their job and now all those signatures need to be thrown out. lol
asuaguila posted at 6:39 pm on Mon, Jul 18, 2011.
Ileana Johnson Paugh is not a medical doctor, she's a journalist. And her article is based on faulty information she googled, which she has admitted to during various interviews. Ellis Island was not the only place that people immigrated into the United States, i.e. El Paso and San Francisco are two of the larger locations. And you are dead wrong if you think there was not a high percentage of illegal European immigration coming through Ellis Island. In fact the 1920 and 1924 Immigration Acts placed numerical restrictions on European immigration and exempted Mexican and Canadian immigration.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 12:16 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh may not be a medical doctor, but it does make her about 1000 times smarter than you assuaguila, and her data about disease and South American immigration is factual. America will become the same diseased cesspool 3rd world country as Mexico and South America is if we continue to allow out of control illegal immigration to continue to this country
ForThePeople posted at 3:38 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
So according to this piece, Pearce’s conduct in office does not rise to the level of recall. Illegally accepting nearly $40,000 worth of influence in the way of sporting tickets should not be tolerated by the voters. Theft in excess of $10,000 is generally classified as a felony. By accepting these gifts, and likely NOT reporting it as income, Pearce has likely broken some laws. If I did not report a gift or winnings of $40,000, the IRS would have thrown me in jail. Mr Pearce needs to answer to not reporting his gifts; especially since the law is very clear on this. So clear a fifth grader would understand it. That seems to rise to the level of a recall.
We are to believe that only an uneducated leader that does not speak in complete sentences, should be recalled. Seems to me more than 10,000 people disagree with you on that. It also seems to me that Mr. Pearce's efforts to arrest those who attempt to attend public hearings, who have not caused a scene, not broken the law and disagree with him, is a misguided way to wield his power. Infringing on others Constitutional Rights guaranteed by law seems to rise to the level of recall.
You claim that Gov. Evan Mecham is the only racist here — you need to listen to Mr. Pearce's comments in Arizona and to his constituents. He votes based on his views on race - and is a racist.
The only way a person in office qualifies for a recall is if they rise "to the laser-beam level". Your comments are a dis-service to the constituents of Mesa, and to the State of Arizona. We as voters have the right to recall elected officials who mis-use their position of power, which is what Mr. Pearce has done. I for one believe someone who took gifts, but did not report it; is a racist; refuses to follow the law when governing, should face a recall election. The columnist may believe that the voters should not have a say, but I disagree - that is what makes the US and this state a part of a great country. That we as voters can stand up and recall our leaders.
People on this post talk about the "liberals" who are putting money into the recall. I find it interesting that the facts state the opposite. It is outside Conservative groups that are pouring money into Pearce's defense. Why - because he will pass laws that help them, not the citizens of Mesa, or the citizens of the State of Arizona. That too seems to rise to the level of recall, as Mr. Pearce should represent his constiuents, and not businesses out of state.
In_God_We_Trust posted at 4:10 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
ForThePeople, if what you first say was true, Pearce would be in jail, but of course what you say is a lie. An outrageous lie at that. I guess you must be a forth grader since it so simple even a fifth grader could understand. On second thought, after reading your entire rant, I think you must be a third grader.
Reality posted at 8:49 am on Wed, Jul 20, 2011.
"So many voters don’t like Pearce’s stands on immigration or that he accepted gifts from the Fiesta Bowl. While many disagree with these views, neither one rises to the laser-beam level."
Lucky for us that, hopefully, the voters will have more values than this author. Being a theft (can you say Fiesta Bowl gifts), and being a racist (which Pierce is regardless of you position on SB1070), and running rough shod over the Senate are qualities of a "bubba" not a professional except in job title.
I know Pierce personally and disregard his publicly stated reasons for SB1070, it is his personal bias against Hispanics that drives him, the immigration issue is simply the tool he is using.
He was the Arizona version of a Redneck southern Sheriff when he was a deputy and he remains one currently even if no longer a "Surff."
With a defeatist attitude as what is exhibited by this columnist it is no wonder he seeks comfort in donuts as evidenced by his photo.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 12:09 pm on Wed, Jul 20, 2011.
Saying Pearce is a racist over and over again doesn't make it a reality except in your own head. I know Senator Pearce too, and I can say with all honesty that he doesn't have a racist bone in his entire body. HE DOES NOT HAVE A BIAS AGAINST HISPANICS. That is an outrageous lie that is being used very effectively against him. Oh now I get it. You have illegal alien confused with Hispanic. That is an easy mistake to make when you hate so much that it squirts out your ears when you think about it. Illegal is neither a race nor a color. Got it?
"Being a theft (can you say Fiesta Bowl gifts)," Did you mean thief? those were gifts that most legislators accepted as legal. The Fiesta Bowl are the criminals here Reality, but you know that doesn't fit your narrative so change it to however you like. To whatever makes you look good.