<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Anti-Allen Forces Are the Target of Catcalls on Recall’s Slowdown

In this year of the recall, most experts agree that signature gathering on recall petitions tends to start quickly, then slow down. Some suggest such that a recent slowdown in the campaign to recall Assembly Speaker Doris Allen (R-Cypress) brought a troop of anti-Allen legislators to her district to walk precincts Saturday.

“With the amount of money [the recall forces] have and the support they have, they ought to have this thing wrapped up by now,” said George Urch of Garden Grove, who was chief of staff for former Democratic Assemblyman Tom Umberg. “They even have a petition-gathering firm helping them.”

Don’t believe the conventional wisdom, said Jeff Flint, one of the organizers of the recall campaign.

“We have had some peaks and valleys, but we are actually back on an upswing right now . . . gathering about several hundred signatures a day,” Flint said.

The most productive day was Saturday, July 1, the eighth day of the recall campaign, when 1,960 valid signatures were gathered, Flint said.

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Pringle’s man: A late scratch from the precinct walkers in support of the Allen recall was Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove), who was elected leader of the Assembly Republicans last week. After his election, Pringle told The Times that as the new Republican leader, he would try to distance himself from the recall effort for the good of the party.

The remark that brought a hoot from Ron Brand, Horcher’s former chief of staff.

“Oh, sure. Isn’t his chief of staff, Jeff Flint, running the recall campaign?” Brand asked.

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More recall: Recalls are everywhere. Pick any corner of the county.

Along with the anti-Allen effort, three council members in Cypress are awaiting a recall election over the approval of a carpet warehouse. In Irvine, three others are the targets of a recall over their roles in the county investment pool. And in Dana Point, signatures are being gathered to recall two council members--Harold Kaufman and Mayor Karen Lloreda--for allegedly wasting taxpayers’ money. Kaufman and Lloreda supporters say the recall forces are just unhappy with the results of last November’s election.

Jack Roberts, a member of the Dana Point recall committee, claims his group has already gathered 4,500 signatures, well over the required 3,655, which represents 20% of the city’s registered voters. But Roberts says his forces will continue to gather signatures “for insurance” and wants to put the election on the March primary ballot, rather than a special election.

“We’d rather be on the March ballot, which saves the city money and will probably give more people a chance to vote,” Roberts said. “The more voters, the merrier.”

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City sentiment: Larry Agran, the former mayor of Irvine and onetime presidential candidate, resurfaced on the national stage Friday with an appearance on “The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour” to promote and explain City Vote, a new non-binding presidential primary to bow in November.

City Vote will add a presidential slate to the regularly scheduled ballots of 20 cities throughout the nation Nov. 7 and become “the first test of voter sentiment” on the 1996 presidential race, said Agran, the executive director and creator of the City Vote concept.

But perhaps more importantly, City Vote will air the political will of the major urban areas of the country--home to 160 million--that Agran claims are being lost with the suburbanization of U.S. politics. City Vote will also sponsor debates, the first one Oct. 6 in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Agran said presidential candidates tend to neglect large cities.

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Awaiting word: Anyone anxiously awaiting an announcement from Gov. Pete Wilson’s office on a replacement for outgoing Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez should sit tight. According to a source with close ties to the governor, there will be no announcement until after Sept. 15.

The choice will be be a temporary caretaker for the 3rd District seat, the source said. A permanent replacement will be selected by an election next year.

Vasquez recently announced his retirement, citing the toll the bankruptcy has taken on him and his family. He will officially step down Sept. 22 and there is speculation he will work in some capacity on the Dole presidential campaign or for the Republican National Committee.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Today: A cocktail reception for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) and Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Newporter. Information: (714) 969-7457.

* Wednesday: Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside) will be the guest speaker at the luncheon meeting of the Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated at 11 a.m., at the Sunset Grille and Bar, 34150 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. Call Lois Nicholson at (714) 496-8559 or Dorothy Frieden at (714) 496-4314.

* Wednesday: A breakfast with state Sen. Ross Johnson (R-Newport Beach) at 7:30 a.m. at the Irvine Hyatt Regency. Call Dennis Brown at (714) 833-0180.

* Thursday: A fund-raiser for Republican Assembly candidate Richard Ackerman from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Summit House, 2000 E. Bastanchury Road, Fullerton. Call Jeff Gibson at (714) 525-0175.

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Recall Comparisons

Here’s how the signature process of three recent Assembly recall drives have progressed. Assemblyman Paul V. Horcher (I-Diamond Bar) was recalled last spring. A recall of Assemblyman Michael J. Machado (D-Linden) failed last week. A total of 25,606 valid signatures of registered voters must be collected by Nov. 30 to force a recall vote on Allen.

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Days Signatures Officeholder Signatures needed /day Paul V. Horcher (I-Diamond Bar) 18,874 65 290 Michael J. Machado (D-Linden) 22,000* 150 147 Doris Allen (R-Cypress) 20,659** 60** 344

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* Estimate

** As of Aug. 23

Source: Committee to Recall Doris Allen

Researched by LEN HALL / Los Angeles Times

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Compiled by Times staff writer Len Hall

Politics ’95 appears every Sunday.