Recall Fever Runs Amok : Petition signers should carefully weigh costs, timing and consequences of these efforts

Recall fever is bordering on the absurd in San Diego County.

Last week, a local group calling itself Responsible Voters for Lower Taxes (REVOLT) said it is going to try to remove Assemblywomen Tricia Hunter (R-Bonita) and Deirdre Alpert (D-Del Mar) from office. The group’s action is anything but responsible.

The reason REVOLT gives for the recall campaign is that Hunter and Alpert voted--as part of a two-thirds majority--to raise $7 billion in taxes to help balance the state budget, which, at the time, was $14.3 billion in the red. Hunter and Alpert were just taking necessary--if unpopular--action.

But, if the reason for the recall is flimsy, the timing defies logic. Both of the legislators are up for reelection in 1992, meaning the voters will have a voice in their futures in the June primary, which is likely to occur before the recall election. A recall election between the primary and the general elections would confuse voters and could cost taxpayers an unnecessary $600,000.

Hunter and Alpert are just the latest targets in a string of questionable recall efforts. Twenty-two local elected officials have had recalls directed at them this year, the most in any year in the past decade. Two campaigns have resulted in recall elections, and two recall petitions are in circulation right now, not including efforts against Alpert and Hunter or one against Vista Mayor Gloria McClellan.

One of these efforts rivals the ridiculousness of the Hunter-Alpert campaign. All five members of the Fallbrook Union High School District board are subjects of a recall effort for just considering raising taxes in a way that would not require voter approval. The school board backed off when the community protested, but recall proponents didn’t.

If recall proponents can gather 4,158 signatures for each--or any--school board member, an election would be scheduled, costing taxpayers about $60,000. And, if the efforts against the Vista mayor and two Ramona Municipal Water District board members make it to the ballot, the tab could reach $165,000.

That’s on top of about $280,000 for the Oceanside and San Diego recall elections earlier this year.

Ironically, it takes only 10% to 30% of the voters--depending on the size of the district--to “authorize” such expenditures by signing recall petitions. But raising taxes to cover the costs would take a two-thirds vote.

Orange County is working on a state legislative proposal designed to discourage frivolous recall actions by requiring a refundable $200 fee. It would also help cover filing costs. That’s probably a good idea. But $200 is unlikely to quell recall fever. Only the voters can do that by being wary of recall petitions and asking these few questions before they sign:

* What are the grounds for the recall?

The reasons for the recall and the elected official’s response--in 200 words or less--must be printed on each sheet of the petition. Read them, rather than relying on a synopsis by the signature gatherer.

* How much time remains in the elected official’s term? Remember, qualifying for the ballot and scheduling the election can take several months.

* Will the recall mean scheduling a special election and, if so, how much will it cost?

* Will the replacement candidates appear on the same ballot? If not, there may be yet another election. And, if the candidates do appear, voters will probably know little about them because of the lack of a campaign.

If the signature gatherer doesn’t know the answers to these questions, the county registrar of voters, the city clerk or the secretary of state should. Recall is a fundamental right in a democracy. But voters should also know the consequences of exercising that right.