Petition Submitted

In what was probably a state record, the petition to allow a recall vote of Pacific Mayor Cy Sun was submitted this morning, just two and a half days after signature gathering started. And the vast majority of those voters sought us out. We did very little door-to-door canvasing. Thank you to the 580 registered voters who supported this effort to give the citizens of Pacific their chance to vote! 

The King County Elections office said they need to verify that 415 of those 580 signatures are currently registered voters in Pacific. The 415 signatures represent 35% of the votes cast in the election that gave us Mayor Sun. The News Tribune is reporting that the elections office expects to have the verification complete in about three days, although we understand that they will canvas the signatures on May 9th. If we achieved our goal, a special election will be held within 45-60 days.

This is a major milestone against extremely challenging odds, especially when Mayor Sun openly declared he only appealed to the Supreme Court to increase the recall costs. As sweet as this victory is, we still have a long way to go and the outcome is far from certain.

In the few neighborhoods we doorbelled, it was clear there are still some vehement Sun followers. We fully support the right to honest disagreement - hopefully with civility. It is noteworthy that most of the council and many staff have acted with professionalism and restraint despite repeated attacks by Mayor Sun. We are passionate about the need to remove Cy Sun from office, but gauging from the reaction of a few this weekend, the challenge remains.

The facts speak for themselves. We will be compiling a concise list of the reasons to recall Mayor Sun in the coming days. We encourage you to be bold yet civil and approach your neighbors. They need to make an informed decision in the upcoming election. They need to hear the facts from you. The future of this city will soon be in your hands. Please get involved and let your voice be heard even before you vote.

Dodo Hall of Recall Fame

Today's Seattle Times editorial sums up our struggle to get this recall on the ballot very well. "It’s really, really hard to recall an elected official in Washington." After recounting other failed attempts to allow a recall vote, author Johnathan Martin sums it up with "All this is a reminder of the consequences of a hollowed-out news media. Good election-season vetting may have averted this debacle. Instead, people lost their jobs and Pacific is awash in needless bills. Farewell, Mayor Sun, and welcome to Washington’s dodo hall of recall fame."

If you are a registered voter in Pacific who wants to help right this wrong by signing the recall petition THIS WEEKEND, please email us at recallcy@blogspot.com. We hope to gather enough signatures by Monday morning to turn in the paperwork to the elections office. No more delays! 

Signature Gathering Starts At Noon Friday

Pacific voters finally get their chance to take some concrete action to take back their city beginning at noon tomorrow, Friday April 26th. The state Supreme Court issued their decision today allowing the recall effort to proceed to the signature gathering stage. This long-awaited step begins with a flourish across the street from city hall with the honor of the first signature going to recall committee chairman Don Thomson. Don promises to sign nice and big so Mayor Sun won't have any trouble reading it.

As soon as Don signs, the floodgates can open and other registered voters in Pacific can add their names to the petition. We need about 450 signatures, but want to get plenty extra so there is a wide margin for error. All signatures must be verified by the election department before a special election can be scheduled. Only currently registered voters within Pacific city limits are allowed to sign the petition. Others who want to help can assist with doorbelling for signatures.

Registered voters can stop by in front of the gift shop at 111 3rd Ave. SE (across from city hall) between noon and 6pm tomorrow.  It would be wonderful to have a line of people ready to sign at noon! If you can't make it tomorrow, petitions will also available on Saturday from 10am til 2pm at the same location. If you want to help doorbell, come by the gift shop and get an assignment.

Stop by tomorrow and celebrate with us! See you at high noon!

SUN LOSES RECALL APPEAL

The Washington State Supreme Court upheld all of the lower court's findings today regarding the charges for recalling Pacific Mayor Cy Sun. We can finally move ahead with gathering signatures so the issue can be put out for a vote by the citizens of Pacific. You can read the court's decision here...

Petitions will be printed and ready for signature as soon as possible, hopefully by this weekend. Stay tuned! Check our Facebook page for the latest details.

Sun Takes Out Another Officer and More Lawsuits Filed

Yesterday, Mayor Cy Sun placed Detective Newton on administrative leave pending an investigation into obstruction charges. We don't have any more details yet.

Public Safety Director John Calkins and four of his officers have filed suit against Cy Sun. We are working to get a copy of the court documents to confirm if the lawsuit is against Sun personally or against the City of Pacific. The Seattle PI has details in their article here...

In his rapid deterioration of any sense of sanity, Mayor Sun has barred the city administration from any work that would assist the council in the performance of their lawful duties. No staff was allowed to attend the council meeting Monday, nor will staff provide necessary information or support as the council continues to try to save this city.

But there is hope on the horizon. The State Supreme Court is scheduled to issue their decision today that would allow the recall to finally  move forward and stop this tyrant from any further damage.

Update On Civil Service Order

In case you haven't been following saga on the recall committee Facebook page, Mayor Sun refused to obey the civil service order reinstating police Lt. Massey and Director Calkins. He even had his attorneys file a lengthy petition with the court (link here) asking the court to endorse his position on this and several other issues. The court responded with a strongly worded order requiring the mayor to immediately follow the lawful civil service order or appear in court on May 3rd to explain why (link to the court's order here).

Police Chief and Lieutenant Return To Work Today

UPDATE 9pm: A copy of the civil service commission's order reinstating Chief Calkins yet again, along with Lt. Massey can be read via this link...

__________________________________

UPDATE 2pm: KING 5 is reporting that Sun's new appointment for police chief, Annette Spicuzza, has stepped down. You can read the report here...

__________________________________

Mayor Sun's antics have been corrected once again. The Pacific Civil Service Commission has just overruled Mayor Sun's decision to place Chief Calkins and Lt. Massey on administrative leave. The commission has restored then to full duty. They are returning to work this afternoon.  No word yet on what this means for Sun's latest hire, Annette Spicuzza, who reported moved here from out of state to replace Chief Calkins. 

Yard Sale Starts Today!

The recall is hosting another fund-raising yard sale. It kicks off this morning and runs through the weekend at 105 3rd Ave. SW, in Pacific. We're optimistic about the prospect that this will be our final fund-raiser. If it goes as well as the last yard sale did, then it's a done deal.

We're still waiting on word from the Supreme Court on their decision regarding the appeal of the recall action. Hopefully today is the day when voters' rights will reign supreme over tyranny in Pacific. We'll post something here when we get the word.

Hope to see you at the sale!

Supreme Court Decision on Recall Pending

The Washington State Supreme Court was scheduled for deliberations on the recall of Mayor Cy today. Sun and his team of lawyers had appealed the decision of King County Superior Court Judge Laura Inveen in October, causing a long delay in the recall process. If the Supreme Court approves the recall alegations, the process can proceed to collecting signatures to allow for a full vote on the recall.

Although deliberations were scheduled for today, there is no way to know when a decision will be made public. Watch the recall Facebook page for the latest news. Once a favorable decision is issued, signature gathering will begin as soon as possible.

Sun Hires Without Council Approval - Again

In case you missed the news the last day or so, Mayor Sun is back at it. He has hired a second Public Safety Director for the position currently filled by John Calkins. The hire was done without council knowledge or approval. News reports say Annette Spicuzza has moved to the area because of this job. She resigned from her last position at UC Davis in California after an investigation was very critical of her leadership following a controversial pepper spray incident with Occupy Wall Street protesters. More on Ms. Spicuzza's past is available here...