Wednesday, 02 April 2008
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Some residents of Muscoy and Bloomington want to recall Gonzales
Some residents of Muscoy and Bloomington want to recall Gonzales
Some residents of Muscoy and Bloomington are angry with San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales and are trying to collect the necessary signatures to put a recall vote on next year's election ballot.
Gonzales, a former Fontana City Councilmember who was elected to the Fifth District seat last November, is interested in increasing the development of Muscoy and Bloomington, to the dismay of some of the people living in those areas. Gonzales' district also includes the eastern portion of Fontana as well as Rialto, Colton, and San Bernardino.
Linda Thacker, the former chairwoman of the Muscoy Municipal Advisory Council, is helping to spearhead the recall attempt. She is alleging that Gonzales is using derogatory remarks and an intimidating attitude to achieve her goals.
Another of Gonzales' opponents is Dawn Crawford, president of Students Against Corruption, who alleged that the supervisor wants to help developers at the expense of residents.
"Josie is out of touch with the people in her district. On top of that, she lacks respect and looks down on people as if she is God's gift to the world. We elected her into office and we can take her and others like her out of office," said Crawford. "Josie is out to please some developers and those who supported her campaign. Josie could care less for the people in her district. The way she talks to them and belittles them is proof of that."
Gonzales, however, disagrees with her opponents, stating that growth in the area is eminent and that residents and county officials should work together to improve the quality of life in the zone."Caltrans' construction of the Route 210 Freeway establishes State Street as the main thoroughfare through Muscoy and Interstate 15 and to Cal State University San Bernardino. The new freeway will create drastic impacts that must be addressed to better serve the community," said Gonzales. "I will always encourage the citizens ofthe Fifth District to participate in the important planning efforts. Planned development makes for better communities, especially when we unite our efforts."
Controversy over Gonzales' viewpoints started last December when she addressed unhappy Muscoy residents about redeveloping the zone. The opposition increased earlier this year when she removed from office 12 advisory board members, seven from Bloomington and five from Muscoy, including Thacker.
Gonzales said at that time that if change brings positive outcomes to the area, it should be welcomed instead of pushed away.
"People are afraid of change; I understand why, but most of the time change is good," said Gonzales. "I want to bring prosperity to the zone, and in order to do that, some changes are necessary. The district is changing demographically, and we have to deal with those changes."
IN ORDER to start the recall process, a letter of intent of recall has to reach Gonzales' hands, via certified mail or in person. Then she will have seven days to deliver a response to the allegations. Her response will be available on the ballot, if enough signatures are collected within the 160 days allowed by law.
More than 11,000 signatures are needed to force the county to place the recall on the ballot -- 10 percent of the total registered voters in the Fifth District.
Despite the several steps to take and the high number of signatures needed, proponents think they will succeed in removing Gonzales from office.
"I have been in contact with Linda and other proponents. I have encouraged them every step of the way," said Crawford. "My organization will help them collect signatures and Josie will be recalled."
Gonzales, on the other hand, sees the interest raised in these issues as something that could ultimately be beneficial for everyone.
"I see this as a unique opportunity to better inform the community about the county's efforts to help residents and business owners improve their lives," Gonzales said.
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