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>> >>PEGGY PICO: THIS WEEK WE'VE LEARNED A PROVISION IN THE CITY'S CHARTER MIGHT BE USED
TO REMOVE THE MAYOR FROM OFFICE. SIGNATURE GATHERING FOR HIS RECALL BEGINS
ON SUNDAY. MEAN WHILE ANOTHER WOMAN COMES FORWARD ALLEGING
*** HARASSMENT. THE OVERRIDING QUESTION REMAINS CAN THE MAYOR
STILL EFFECTIVELY GOVERN. POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, CARL LUNA, LEND
SOME INSIGHT. FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T SEE IT, PEGGY SHANNON
WHO WORKS AT CITY HALL SPOKE OUT YESTERDAY WITH HER INTERACTIONS WITH THE MAYOR.
HERE'S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY. >> >>: ON THE DAY THAT MAYOR FILNER GRABBED
ME AND KISSED ME Y WAS SO SURPRISED. I WENT HOME AND CRIED.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: SHE SAID SHE WENT HOME AND CRIED, ALTHOUGH SHE'S NOT SUING AS FAR AS
WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THE MAYOR. SHE HAS ASKED FOR AN APOLOGY.
DOES HER KIND OF ALLEGATION HAVE ANY IMPACT IN LIGHT OF THERE'S BEEN SO MANY?
>> >>: IT'S A RAGING FIRE AROUND THE MAYOR, BUT DOESN'T HELP THESE STORIES TO KEEP COMING
UP EVERY DAY OR TWO. >> >>PEGGY PICO: IT SORT OF ADDSÂ LEGALLY
DOES IT ADD TO ANYTHING? >> >>CARL LUNA: AS FAR AS FORCING HIM OUT
OF OFFICE, IF HE IS GOING TO RESIGN IT COULD BE A BREAKING POINT.
IT COULD BE MORE FUEL FOR THE FIRE FOR THE RECALL.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: CITY ATTORNEY JAN GOLDSMITH ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK THERE MAY BE A WAY TO
USE THE CITY CHARTER TO REMOVE THE MAYOR. HOW WOULD THAT WORK?
>> >>CARL LUNA: UNDER SECTION 108 OF THE CHARTER, THE MAYOR WOULD QUALIFY AS MISUSED PUBLIC
FUNDS THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD GO TO A CLERK, GET A JUDGE TO RULE AND THE JUDGE COULD MAYOR.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'RE LOOKING AT HAVE TO DO WITH THESE EXPENSES,
A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR PERSONAL ITEM NZ CLUING PIZZA, INCLUDING A JUICER, EXPENSIVE LUNCHES.
THESE SEEM RATHER INSIGNIFICANT. IS IT THE NORM TO HAVE THE MAYOR'S CHARGE
THESE SORT OF THINGS? >> >>CARL LUNA: THERE'S ALWAYS PROBLEMS WITH
BUDGETS WHO CHARGED WHAT WHERE. BOB FILNER WAS A CONGRESSMAN, THEY'RE LOOKED
AT A LOT LESS CLOSELY THAN A MAYOR. IN THIS WHOLE CRISIS IF THE MAYOR IS GOING
TO BE HUNG, AS IT WERE, OR $500 IN CREDIT CARD CHARGES I THINK IT'S GOING TO DOWN PLAY
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT HE'S DOING. >> >>PEGGY PICO: COULD THERE BE A BACK LASH?
HE'S GOING GOING TO SAY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ME OUT OF OFFICE ON THIS.
>> >>CARL LUNA: HE'LL GO TO COURT TRY TO HAVE IT WASHED IF HE LOSES HE'LL GO TO THE APPELLATE
COURT. A RECALL IS ONE THING, WHEN THE VOTERS VOTE
FOR THEIR OWN WILL. JUST TO GO TO A JUDGE TO HAVE HIM REMOVED
I THINK COULD RALLY SUPPORT TO THE MAYOR. >> >>PEGGY PICO: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE RECALL.
THEY'RE GOING TO START GATHERING SIGNATURES. REMIND US WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THIS RECALL
OFF THE GROUND AND HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE IF IT MOVED FORWARD TO HAVE AN ELECTION.
>> >>CARL LUNA: IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE COLLECTING SIGNATURES.
YOU HAVE TO GET OVER 140,000 TO BE SAFE. BY THE TIME YOU GO THROUGH ELECTING THOSE
TO TURNING THEM IN THE CITY CLERK SYSTEM, THEY'VE GOT TO SCHEDULE A SPECIAL ELECTION.
YOU'RE LOOKING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HALLOWEEN AND THANKSGIVING FOR EVEN CONCEIVABLY, IT
COULD BE LATER THAN THAT. IT COULD BE DECEMBER, IT COULD BE HAPPY NEW
YEAR, SAN DIEGO. >> >>PEGGY PICO: DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL
BE BURNED OUT BY THIS TIME AND SAY FORGET IT.
IT'S BEEN SO LONG, WE'VE GOT HIM BURNT OUT, LET'S MOVE ON.
>> >>CARL LUNA: THAT'S BEEN THE MAYOR'S STRATEGY IN MANY WAYS.
HE'S HOPING TO EXHAUST THE PUBLIC. THE PROBLEM IS IF THESE ALLEGATIONS KEEP COMING
UP, IF THEY'RE TRUE JUSTICE WILL BE PLAYED OUT.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: THE MAYOR HAS BEEN OUT OF OFFICE THREE WEEKS TWO OF THOSE IN THERAPY,
HE WILL COME BACK TO WORK MAYBE EARLY AS NEXT WEEK.
HOW CAN HE EFFECTIVELY GOVERN THE CITY IN HIS ABSENCE AND IN THIS TURMOIL?
>> >>CARL LUNA: HE HAS A HARD TIME DOING PUBLIC APPEARANCES, HE'S LIMITED HOW HE CAN ENGAGE
STAFF MEMBERS. A LOT OF TIMES RESOURCES IS GOING TO BE DEDICATED
BY EVERYBODY. THE MAYOR'S BEING CUT OUT OF THE LOOP.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: IS HE SHOWING UP TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OR WILL HE? IS HE REQUIRED
TO? >> >>CARL LUNA: AT SOME POINT HE HAS TO COME
FORWARD. WHEN THERE'S SOME SPECIAL EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
THEY'RE GOING TO WANT THE MAYOR TO BE THERE. >> >>PEGGY PICO: SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO
HEAR A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS NEXT WEEK. CARL LUNA POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT MESA
COLLEGE, THANK YOU.