Recall Committee Reports Success

As we told you last month, Jane Murray's out-of-town lawyers only got her a short reprieve from facing the voters of Portsmouth. (Click here.) Last time, Murray and her attorneys intimidated the Scioto County Board of Elections into cancelling out the will of the voters of Portsmouth and take the recall issue off the November ballot. The citizens will not have there rights violated again. The committee to recall Jane Murray, once again, went out and collected signatures and turned in the petitions on Friday.

1148
That is the number of signatures that is needed to have the issue placed on the ballot. We have been informed that the committee had signatures well in excess of that number, and this week the city clerk will begin the process of verifying the signatures.

This time the recall committee has its own attorneys. This time they are fully aware of the desperate tricks and tactics that Murray's attorneys will try to use to keep the recall off the ballot once again. This time the committee carried voter registration change of address forms with them to make sure all signers were registered at the proper address. This time all dates and notary seals were checked to ensure the Murray's attorneys have no areas to question. This time the committee made sure that each name was properly signed, and none were printed. Murray's lawyers put all of their cards on the table last time, and their tactics will not work again.

City Council
Once again, the issue will go to City Council to authorize the recall to be on the ballot. Once again the vote will be 5-1, with the clueless sixth ward councilman, Rich Noel voting against the resolution, in obvious violation of his oath of office and the will of the citizens he is supposed to represent. If all goes as it should, the issue will be on a special election ballot in December, or possibly January. (We personally hope that the election takes place in December. It just would not be right for Murray to stay in that office for more than a year.)

51%
That is the percentage of voters needed to removed Murray from office. (Actually a "majority" of the voters is needed, which is 50%+1.)

Last month we told you about another recall election elsewhere in Ohio in which the incumbent mayor was removed by the citizens in a special election by a vote of 67% to 33%. Normally anything over 60-40 is considered a landslide election result. However we predict that the final vote when Murray is recalled will be more than 85% for the recall and less than 15% against.

Here is a short list of people who will support the recall.

Petition Signers
Over 1400 individuals signed the petition for recall of the mayor. (Many of them signed twice, thanks to Murray's appeal to the Board of Elections.) Considering the fact that only 4600 people voted in the last general election, this is a large number. Those who circulated the petitions can tell you that the people who signed it were very motivated and are looking forward to the day when they can vote "that crazy woman!" out of office.

City employees and their families and friends
Those of you who know city workers know very well, it is hard to find one who admits to supporting Jane Murray. She has alienated every major union and those who work in the city building know that the city government has been in utter turmoil since Murray was sworn in. She has no concept of budgeting and continually authorizes purchases without proper purchase orders in violation of state guidelines. And city employees haven't forgotten that Murray used their disgraced, former union president, Roy Payton (a convicted thief and drug abuser), as her "advisor on union issues" when she came into office.

City employees are prohibited by the charter from assisting with the recall but relatives and friends of city employees were some of the most active in circulating the petitions. These relatives and friends know what their loved ones are suffering through with Crazy Jane in charge.


Picture taken by Jane Murray's spies and posted on a CAVE Person website.

Many city employees were brave enough to sign the recall petitions. Many others would have liked to sign but were afraid of retaliation by the mayor. Murray had her spies at the petition signing events at Tracy Park, talking pictures of everyone who attended. But spies can't help her on election day. Unlike the petitions which she has full access to, she will have no way of knowing how city workers vote on election day.

Friends and Families of Employees fired in January 2010
When Jane Murray fired several qualified and respected city employees on her first day in office, she showed the citizens of Portsmouth her true colors. She seemed to think that she was godlike and that her victims would just simply disappear into the woodwork. The men and women she fired without cause were lifelong members of the Portsmouth community, unlike Jane herself. These fired employees have not gone away, and each of them still have many friends that work for the city.

Each of them has family members in Portsmouth. Their families and friends (fellow church members, lodge members, etc.) are just patiently waiting for their chance to go to the poles on election day. They will not forget what the things this woman did to and said about their friends.

Groups who have had negative dealings with the mayor
This is actually a long and growing list. The Portsmouth Motorcycle Club provided many of the signatures on the recall petitions, due to her actions targeted at them and their charitable efforts. A local anti-drug abuse group had run-ins with the mayor, despite her promises during the campaign that she would "outlaw" Oxycontin in Portsmouth. People associated with the A-Plant, SOMC, the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission, the Southern Ohio Growth Partnership, and many other organizations are highly motivated to vote her out as well.

Who does the Mayor have on her side?
Supporting Jane Murray is a rag-tag collection of assorted nuts: brain-damaged disgraced ex-preachers and professors, dope-heads, arsonists, gatheists, ex-convicts, perverts and cranks. Many of this group have been the ones who have been fighting progress in Portsmouth for decades. These losers will not save her.

Even the Mayor knows that. That is why she has fought so hard against allowing the people the right, guarantee in the City Charter, to vote on whether to keep her in office or remove her.


Rest assured, citizens. Judgement day is coming. You voice will be heard. Murray will be out.