Coastal Voices Guest Editorial: Don’t sign Council recall petitions

Better yet, this silent majority will have the opportunity to speak volumes — about the travesty a small group of marauders in our midst are attempting in an effort to plunder democracy — by stopping a special election attempt at the city level.

Refuse to sign the petition for a recall on two City Council members, Kathryn Murray and Charles Slert.

Who is this silent majority? It is you, the good citizens of Crescent City. The people who pay taxes, take your children to school, sports activities, go to work every day, and give to your community in a hundred different ways.

While this may sound humorous, the threat to democracy is not a joke. The City Council works by a majority vote. The attempt to remove two out of the four council members who consistently vote as the majority with handpicked replacements by the minority member is a pitiful attempt to manipulate the system.

Why are Kathryn Murray and Charles Slert being targeted for a recall? That is the question no one can answer with any rational reason. Both of us were elected just one short year ago, Nov­ember 2008.

The issue the recall proponents’ use as their foundation for the recall is the Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF). Consider this; the WWTF is under budget and approximately 80 percent complete. Further­more, the decisions for the upgrades were made prior to the current council, having been deemed necessary by state regulatory agencies. Both the Grand Jury and the state Fair Political Practices Commission have determined there is no substance to allegations of corruption or kickbacks by the city or its staff.

Ergo, the excuse to recall is just that, an excuse to take over the majority votes on the council and an obvious power grab by Westfall.

Do not be misled, the recall will not lower you sewer rates.

Let the silent majority put a stop to the Murray/Slert recall.

Kathryn Murray is a Crescent City Council member.