Ashburn recall effort dies
BY CHRISTINE BEDELL, Californian government editor cbedell@bakersfield.com
The effort to recall state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, from office has been abandoned for lack of needed signatures on the eve of a key deadline.
Organizer Michael Moore, a Bakersfield businessman, said Friday he needed to amass 46,000 signatures by a few days from now. He declined to say exactly how many signatures were collected - just that it wasn't enough.
Moore sought to recall Ashburn primarily because of his vote in February for a state budget deal that included tax increases. He said he'll find other ways of trying to keep Ashburn out of public office such as raising opposition and opposition money to the state senator's 2010 Board of Equalization run.
"We're going to do what we can to make sure people remember his actions in Sacramento," Moore said.
Ashburn said he took the recall campaign very seriously -- he raised $100,209 in the first half of this year to fight it, campaign finance filings show. And while he's glad the effort's ending, Ashburn said, he gets the anger that fueled it.
"I understand my constituents were upset with the February budget vote and I respect that," Ashburn said.
Ashburn said the vote -- which proved to be a pivotal one for passage of the controversial deal -- was the hardest he's had to make.
He said he'll consult with an attorney about how to spend the anti-recall campaign funds but undoubtedly some will go to his Board of Equalization fundraising committee.
Moore attributed his failed effort to a combination of things including his inexperience organizing such a big political endeavor and people being reluctant to support spending money on a recall election when Ashburn will be termed out of the state Senate next year.
A letter by Moore on the Recall Ashburn Facebook page outlines other lessons learned learned during the effort:
* "When making a major political move like this, one needs to INSURE participation from those around them "SAYING" that they support you."
* "College students (though not all) are woefully naive and ignorant about politics."
* "Initiating a recall is not cheap."
* "The California Secretary of State's office is actually pretty competent."
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