Posted on 03/24/2011 9:16:15 AM PDT by abb
A group of voters filed a recall petition Wednesday against East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Councilwoman Alison Cascio, saying her votes do not reflect the views of her District 11 constituents, according to a website promoting the recall.
The petition was hand-delivered Tuesday to the Secretary of State’s Office.
It was signed by Hunter Bridges and Charles Bowden, said Sailor Jackson, spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office.
Members of the recall committee deferred comment to the website http://www.recallcascio.com.
It was unclear Wednesday how many people are involved in the recall effort.
“Alison Cascio has been following a pattern of ignoring the wishes of her constituents in favor of her own desires, and the desires of certain, non-District 11 groups, since she has been on the Metro Council,” the website said.
Cascio said Wednesday she works every day to meet the needs of her constituents.
“I’m obviously trying to represent them the best that I can,” she said. “The thing is you can’t please everyone all the time. I’m going to go on about my business. That’s what I’m here to do.”
Cascio’s vote in December to support allowing the parish library system to use $19 million to build a new downtown library was listed as one of the most recent “disagreements” the group had with the councilwoman.
“Cascio followed the lead of downtowner advocates and ignored the wishes of YOU, her constituents,” the website said.
Cascio said she spoke with many constituents who both supported and opposed the use of the funds for the downtown library.
“It’s the kind of thing that divided everybody,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t please everybody. But I made that decision based on facts and being objective.”
Other topics the website took issue with:
n Cascio’s support in 2008 and 2009 of the mayor’s $989 million and then $901 million bond proposals for riverfront development.
n Her support at a 2009 Library Board meeting to build a library on donated property in the disputed Rouzan development on Perkins Road, instead of other donated land in South Baton Rouge.
n Her vote in June 2010 to place a home for troubled youth in the middle of a residential area in Zachary.
n Her support of the One Baton Rouge proposition, which was withdrawn from the Metro Council agenda before it came to a vote.
One Baton Rouge was a proposition that expressed tolerance toward the parish’s gay population. It was opposed by some religious groups.
Members of the recall campaign will need 7,847 signatures to successfully recall Cascio, which is one-third of the 23,542 registered voters in District 11, according to the parish Registrar of Voters Office.
If the needed signatures are collected within 180 days, voters will be able to decide whether to recall Cascio.
If the vote passes, she would be removed from office, according to the secretary of state’s website.
The recall committee will be gathering signatures and placing yard signs beginning Saturday, according to the website.
Cascio, a Republican, took office in 2009.
She previously worked with the Center for Planning Excellence and as an aide for Councilman David Boneno.
District 11 is bordered to the north by Florida Boulevard, to the west by Interstate 10, to the south by Pecue Lane, and to the east by Sherwood Forest Boulevard.
http://www.recallcascio.com/
ping
Good for them!~/
COOL~!!!!!!!
It sounds pretty easy... are all districts that easy?
Cascio is your typical RINO. She loves to spend other peoples money. 19 million for a downtown library? You just know that this will be used by those inner city youths who can’t read. What a total boondoggle.
New Orleans is even more easy. The Big Easy.
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