STANTON : Recall Try Launched Over Card Club Issue

Opponents of an initiative that would have allowed card clubs in the city launched a recall drive this week against Councilmen Joe V. Harris and Sal Sapien, saying they “no longer represent the views of a majority of voters in Stanton.”

Harris and Sapien were the only two council members not to support a resolution that opposed Measure A, which sought to legalize card clubs in the city. Stanton voters on June 8 rejected Measure A by a 4-1 margin.

“The job of the City Council is to represent the majority of the people. They seem to be in total disagreement with the majority of the citizens,” said Robert K. Hyun, a recall organizer. “If they are so out of touch, they shouldn’t be in office.”

Sapien denied the charge Friday, saying he took no position on Measure A because he wanted voters to decide the card-club issue.

“I never came out in favor or against it,” Sapien said. “I just wanted the voters to be asked.”

Harris could not be reached for comment Friday.

Recall organizers must collect the signatures of 20% of Stanton’s roughly 10,000 registered voters before a recall election can be held.

Given the voters’ lopsided rejection of Measure A, recall organizers said that they are confident that enough signatures can be collected and that residents will oust Sapien and Harris.

This marks the second time in two years that Sapien has been targeted for recall. In 1991, residents angry at his support of a $5-million civic center project failed in their bid to force a recall election.

Sapien said the latest effort is just one more attempt by his critics to be divisive and “create havoc” in the city.