>> >>: NEVER IN SAN DIEGO'S HISTORY HAS MAYORAL RECALL SEEMED MORE POSSIBLE.
IN THE PAST MONTH AN EVER EXPANDING ROSTER OF WOMEN HAVE STATED PUBLICLY THAT FILNER
MADE UNWANTED SEXUAL ADVANCES TOWARD THEM AND A GROWING CHORUS OF POLITICAL LEADERS
ARE CALLING ON FILNER TO RESIGN. RIGHT NOW FILNER ISN'T IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
AND RECALL ORGANIZERS HOPE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
THEY CAN START GATHERING SIGNATURES ON AUGUST 18 AND HAVE 39 DAYS TO GATHER MORE THAN 1,002,000
SIGNATURES. >> >>: THIS IS THE BIGGEST RECALL EFFORT IN
THE HISTORY THE CITY. >> >>: CARL LUNA SAYS RECALL IS THE ONLY WAY
TO REMOVE FILNER FROM OFFICE SHORT OF CRIMINAL INDICTMENT.
HE SAYS A RECALL'S CHANCES OF SUCCESS ARE GRIM.
>> >>: PROPOSITIONS HAVE ALMOST FOUR TIMES AS MUCH TIME TO GATHER THEIR SIGNATURES, SO
IT'S EASIER FOR A PROPOSITION BALLOT AMENDMENT TO REACH THE BALLOT.
>> >>: EVEN IF ENOUGH SIGNATURES ARE GATHERED OUR ARCHAIC CITY LAWS COULD ALLOW FILNER TO
CHALLENGE THE RECALL IN COURT. >> >>: RIGHT NOW IT WOULD BE EASY FOR SOMEONE
TO SUE THE CITY AND WE WOULD IN ALL LIKELIHOOD LOSE.
>> >>: CITY COUNCILMAN MARK KERSEY HAS RECOMMENDED THE COUNCIL FIX ONE OF THE CITY'S RECALL LOOP
HOLES. >> >>: IF THERE'S A RECALL, YOU WANT TO CHOOSE
THE CANDIDATE TO BE THE NEXT MAYOR, YOU HAVE TO VOTE ON THE QUESTION ON WHETHER THERE SHOULD
BE A RECALL. >> >>: A STATE LAW WITH MATCHING RULING WAS
RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL DURING GOVERNOR GRAY DAVIS' RECALL IN 2003.
>> >>: WE'VE KNOWN FOR 10 YEARS THAT OUR LOCAL LAW WAS LIKELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL, AND
FOR WHATEVER REASON IT WAS NEVER CLEANED UP. >> >>: THAT'S ONE LEGAL COMPLICATIONS COUNCIL
CAN FIX. ANOTHER WHICH SAYS WHO CAN ACTUALLY GATHER
SIGNATURES WILL LIKELY STAY ON THE BOOKS. >> >>: THERE WAS A US SUPREME COURT CASE THAT
MADE VERY CLEAR YOU CAN'T REQUIRE SOMEONE WHO'S GATHERING SIGNATURES TO BE EITHER A
VOTER OR A RESIDENT OF SAN DIEGO. THAT LAW ACTUALLY IS STILL ON OUR MUNICIPAL
CODE BOOKS, IT HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCED FOR YEARS AND IT WILL NOT BE ENFORCED.
>> >>: SHARON STEVACK IS A DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY. SHE SAYS THESE LOOP HOLES CREATE FERTAL GROUND
FOR FILNER SUPPORTERS TO CHALLENGE THE LAW. >> >>: IF YOU HAD A LAW ON THE BOOKS THAT
SAID THE VOTES SHOULD BE COUNTED THAT WAY. I'M COMFORTABLE BASED ON THE CASE LAW THAT
ARGUMENT WOULD NOT WIN. >> >>: LAST WEEK A GROUP OF MOSTLY REPUBLICAN
POLITICAL OPERATIVES JOINED THE CAMPAIGN. APRIL BOWLING WHO HELPED GET PENSION REFORM
ON THE BALLOT IN 2012, WILL BE TREASURER. >> >>: WITH PROPOSITION B, A LOT OF PEOPLE
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE DOING WITH PENSION REFORM.
THERE WAS A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO AS YOU WERE TRYING TO GATHER SIGNATURES.
THIS REQUIRES NO EXPLANATION. PEOPLE EITHER SUPPORT A RECALL OR THEY DON'T.
>> >>: BOWLING SAYS THEY WANT ABOUT 4,000 VOLUNTEERS TO COLLECT SIGNATURES AND ALREADY
HAVE 2000 ON BOARD. SHE SAYS IF THEY NEED TO HIRE SIGNATURE GATHERERS
IT COULD COST ABOUT 600,000DOLLARS. THEY'LL NEED SOME MONEY TO PAY FOR PRINTING,
POSTAGE AND FEES FOR HER AND THE OTHER CONSULTANTS. BOWLING SAYS THEY HAVE ALREADY LINED UP SOME
FUNDERS BUT WOULDN'T SAY WHO. >> >>: WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE SOME
COMMITMENTS TO US, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE CHECKS IN HAND YET AND SO I'M STILL OPERATING UNDER
THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY UNTIL I ACTUALLY SEE A CHECK IN HAND AS FAR
AS I'M CONCERNED IT DOESN'T EXIST. >> >>: REPUBLICAN LAND USE CONSULTANT MICHAEL
PALLAMARY WAS THE ORIGINAL RECALL ORGANIZER. HE SAYS THE CAMPAIGN HAS ALREADY RAISED THOUSANDS.
>> >>: WE WERE CONTACTED BY A LARGE GROUP THAT WANTS TO HELP US.
>> >>: FILNER DIDN'T RESPOND TO REQUESTS FOR COMMENT FOR THIS STORY, BUT HIS LAWYER SENT
OUT A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE RECALL EFFORT. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO GO BACKWARDS.
BACK TO THE TIME WHEN MIDDLE CLASS JOBS AND NEIGHBORHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE WERE SACRIFICED
TO DOWNTOWN SPECIAL INTEREST, IT SAYS. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
EVEN IF IF THE RECALL EFFORT OVERCOMES THE MANY OBSTACLES IN ITS PAST, IT WON'T BE ON
THE BALLOT FOR AWHILE. >> >>: PROBABLY 90 DAYS FROM THANKSGIVING,
YOU'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE FEBRUARY. >> >>: CARL LUNA SAYS THE LONG TIME FRAME
COULD WORK AGAINST THE RECALL'S MOMENTUM. >> >>: THE QUESTION IS WILL THE MAYOR BE ABLE
TO RIDE IT OUT? >> >>: CLAIRE TRAGESER, KPBS NEWS.