Huntington Park : New Recall Bid Launched

A recall effort, the second in two months, is under way against Councilmen Thomas E. Jackson and Jack W. Parks.

A notice of intention to circulate a recall petition was filed last week by Guadalupe Levy and Joe M. Ortiz. Jackson and Parks filed a rebuttal to the charges on Tuesday.

The petition proponents claim that Jackson and Parks are “insensitive to the wishes of the people” and that rapid redevelopment has led to a shortage of affordable housing for senior citizens. Ortiz said in an interview that the councilmen have been in office too long. “We haven’t had change. I’d like to see new blood and new ideas,” he said, adding that Parks also was targeted because of “insensitive remarks” he made about Latinos.

Parks and Jackson called the charges “frivolous” and maintain in their answer that the real instigator behind the recall is Alan Kartsman, a council candidate in the April election. Kartsman denied the charges, saying, “They’re accusing me of being behind it without proof.”

Jackson also said in an interview that Jesse Duran, president of the city chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, was behind the recall effort. Duran denied the allegations.

The first recall petition was withdrawn by the proponents.