By Jose Alfonso Garcia
Seems that Mayor Dan Rivera and his closest collaborators have been taken by surprise by the heroic and responsible attitude of a group of deserving citizens, who tired of threats, finally decided to march into the City Clerk’s office, at 200 Common Street, to deliver the 100 affidavits of registered voters required by the electoral law for the collection of signatures among voters to initiate a civil and democratic process to demand the dismissal of Mayor Rivera for breaches of the official duties for which he was elected.
Although the Mayor has said that he is not afraid or worried about the Recall petition against his government, his angry reaction when he learned of the facts shows the opposite. As my grandmother used to say, it is not the same to call the Devil than to see him coming.
Learning that the signatures submitted last Wednesday were good and sufficient to start the process, Mayor Rivera himself immediately launched a dirty smear campaign against the recall organizers and especially against those who dared to step forward representing the people that disagree with the actions of his government screaming “Enough is enough.”
Both, on the radio in Spanish and in the English media, the mayor dared to say that key members of the movement trying to oust him were corrupt Police Officers, opportunistic businessmen and tax evaders. I think our mayor, in my humble opinion, made a crass political and even tactical error at a time when war drums are being heard. Calling citizens of Lawrence criminals because they are unhappy with the way he is addressing the city’s problems is an insult to the thousands of residents who are not corrupt, that pay their taxes and would like to see a Lawrence for all, as Mayor Rivera promised in his election campaign.
The Recall petition against Mayor Rivera cannot and should not be seen as an act of rebellion or insubordination against him. As it is protected in our constitution that a Recall is a civic and democratic right of the voters to take action and remove from office an elected official who has not fulfilled his campaign promises or a government whose actions endanger the socio-economic stability of the city.
In Massachusetts it is not necessary that a judge, the mayor or his followers assess or evaluate the validity, weight or number of reasons the voters have to sign the Recall petition. The law requires that 100 voters disgusted with the elected official, for whatever reason get the signatures certifed by the City Clerk.
The arrogant and insulting statement of Mayor Rivera against the Recall petitioners could be interpreted as an act of intimidation to the voters; since political retaliation against employees appointed by the previous administration that were all fired by the mayor in his first week in office is one of the reasons given by voters to oust him from office.
