OXNARD, VENTURA : Wilson Foes Gather Signatures for Recall

Supporters of an effort to oust Gov. Pete Wilson from office said they gathered an estimated 800 to 1,000 signatures in Oxnard and Ventura on Saturday to help qualify the recall initiative for a statewide ballot.

“I want to see Pete Wilson out of there. I want to see him recalled,” said Chad Towe, a recall consultant from San Jose who came down to help supervise the Ventura County signature gathering.

Towe said the recall effort began in September and has organized supporters in 45 of the 58 counties in the state. To qualify for a statewide ballot, Towe said, the group must collect 933,000 signatures of registered voters by March 18.

Standing outside the Price Club in Oxnard and K mart in Ventura, supporters held signs that read, “Get Rid of Pete Wilson,” and gave bumper stickers and a variety of anti-Wilson buttons to a steady stream of interested passersby.

“Get rid of Pete? Where do I sign?” asked Oxnard resident Charlie Lopez, 56, before scrawling his name across the petition. “I feel he destroyed everything that helps out the minorities and the senior citizens and the poor people. He’s out to help big business and the hell with the other people.”