Local News in Brief : Recall Drive Against Councilman Begins

A longtime San Gabriel resident has initiated a recall drive against City Councilman Frank Blaszcak, who was elected to the council just five months ago. Citing Blaszcak for “failure to provide responsible, accurate and open representation” and “irresponsible spending of tax dollars,” Dorothy Schneider seeks to gather 3,100 voters’ signatures in the next four months to place the issue on the ballot.

Blaszcak is one of three slow-growth candidates who were swept into office in last April’s election. Since then, city government in the city of 33,000 has often been in turmoil, with Blaszcak frequently the center of controversy. The councilman last month gave up a $2,100 portable telephone, paid for with city funds, after an uproar from critics who said they were concerned about the city’s bleak fiscal situation.

With a total of four slow-growth members on the five-person council and a one-year moratorium on most development approved by the voters, San Gabriel appears to be the city where slow-growth won. But the council, whose members have quarreled openly among themselves, has sputtered in implementing slow-growth policies.

Blaszcak scoffed at the recall drive. “I see the Joe Isuzu fan club is out in force,” he said, suggesting that the petition drive was being orchestrated by developers seeking to “destroy the movement.”