March 5, 2012
Recall and Restore Suspends Petition Campaign
Recall and Restore today suspended its operations for the recall of Oakland Mayor Jean Quan. We will not have the required number of signatures by the May 14, 2012 deadline for this petition. The reality is that paid canvassers are needed to gather 20,000 valid signatures. Recall and Restore was unable to obtain sufficient funds for paid canvassing.
Recall and Restore thanks the volunteers who obtained several thousand signatures. The volunteer canvassers, the voters who signed, and the donors of funds and facilities kept the recall of Mayor Quan going for three crucial months in the face of confusion and misinformation. These people are the true heroes of democracy in Oakland!
Mayor Quan has nothing to celebrate today. Our work on the streets confirmed the results of an independent survey commissioned by a media outlet: a majority of Oakland residents want to recall Mayor Quan. When asked, people immediately sign the recall petition.
It is our understanding that one of the original proponents of recall, Gene Hazzard, will continue to circulate the May 14 petition on his own. People are unlikely to encounter it, but a prudent voter will sign both the first and second recall petitions.
The recall movement remains alive. Recall and Restore supports the ongoing efforts to recall Mayor Quan. Voters will encounter canvassers for the second recall petition, certified for a submission deadline of July 2, 2012. Oakland residents who want to vote on recalling Mayor Quan should sign that petition. It is the only way to spare our city nearly three more years of this mayor's disastrous leadership, disdain for public safety, contempt for the neighborhoods, and neglect of basic City services.
P.O. Box 18708, Oakland, CA 94619