Toledo recall

LP News July 1999 - Toledo, Ohio Libertarians kick off
recall effort against "unfit" mayor
July 1999
Online Edition
Note: This online version may contain additional material or
otherwise differ from what appeared in the printed edition.
Toledo, Ohio Libertarians kick off recall effort against
"unfit" mayor
Libertarians in Toledo, Ohio have launched a much-publicized
impeachment drive against the city's mayor -- charging that
he acts like an "emperor" and has a "callous disregard" for
the rights of citizens.
On April 12, Libertarians Dr. LeRoy Lloyd, Dave Domanski,
Duane Arquette, and others held a press conference to
announce the start of a recall effort to oust Mayor Carty
Finkbeiner.
They also announced a new website to facilitate the effort,
which doubles as the name of their committee:
RecallCarty.com.
At the press conference, Libertarians accused the mayor of
"malfeasance" and "self-serving smugness" which made him
unfit to continue in office.
"We, the people of Toledo, have had enough!" said Arquette.
"It is time for Carleton S. Finkbeiner to be recalled."
Listing the specifics of their allegations, Arquette said,
"Finkbeiner repeatedly uses the power of his office to abuse
the rights of property owners. He champions an aggressive
campaign to disarm law-abiding citizens. He places the city
of Toledo in serious financial jeopardy. He broke an
Election Law of the State of Ohio. He ignores the
Constitution of the United States."
The Libertarians were especially vocal in their criticism of
Finkbeiner's anti-Second Amendment efforts -- including
proposals to require handgun registration, to ban possession
of "Saturday Night Specials," and to allow prosecution if
children gain access to guns without trigger locks.
"We are tired of hearing Mr. Finkbeiner brag that Toledo is
an All-American City while he does everything in his power
to trample the law and tradition upon which America was
founded," said Arquette. "We, too, believe Toledo is an
All-American city, and we demand to be treated and
respected, as all Americans should be."
The RecallCarty.com committee has 90 days from the date of
their announcement to collect 23,000 valid signatures --
requiring about 35,000 "raw" signatures -- to put the recall
question on the November ballot.
The press conference generated an immediate wave of media
attention for the Libertarians.
"The result has been unbelievable," said Lloyd. "The radio
and TV stations open their newscasts with, 'A group of
Libertarians are trying to recall the mayor!' I understand
that our effort has made the news in the rest of the state.
"We have bull by the horns, but we love it. [But] the
establishment is getting worried; our presence is as
welcomed as the aroma of a hog barn on a hot sultry day," he
said.
The campaign -- and their use of a website to drum up
support -- also attracted national attention: The June 1999
issue of Campaigns & Elections named RecallCarty.com its
"Site of the Month."
Noting that the site offered information on signature
gathering, T-shirts for sale, and reasons why the mayor
should be recalled, the magazine wrote: "Whether the
campaign is successful or not, RecallCarty.com is an
innovative new way of using the Internet for grassroots
petitioning."