Mailbag - Feb. 1, 2001

The Jan. 18 edition had an article regarding the recall of Huntington

Beach Councilman Dave Garofalo (“Garofalo’s recall petition approved”).

The article stated that the format of the petition had been approved

by the city clerk Jan. 12 and that the Committee for Honest and

Responsible Government had commenced gathering signatures with a target

date of June 21 to gather 16,000 signatures.

I am glad the Independent printed this brief article, but I am

disappointed that it was buried on Page 12. This issue is far more

important than a dog park. This man is a blight on Huntington Beach and

must be recalled.

Thank you for the good work you are doing in keeping the public

informed about Garofalo. But the charges for which he is being

investigated and the agencies that are doing the investigating should be

repeatedly printed in the Independent so that all your readers, who also

want honest and responsible government, will be cognizant of his

[alleged] indiscretions.

As a member of the Committee for Honest and Responsible Government, I

am heartened by the response from the citizens who want to sign the

recall petition.

STEVE GULLAGE

Huntington Beach

Certification of recall petition is heartening

I was heartened to see that the recall petition against Huntington

Beach Councilman Dave Garofalo was certified. He has voted repeatedly on

projects where he had conflicts of interest.

Garofalo has hidden his business interests to disguise the conflicts.

He sought special treatment on the purchase of a house and then voted

repeatedly for the developer’s projects.

I think he will continue to peddle his influence if he is allowed to

remain on the City Council. Garofalo’s malfeasance is an embarrassment to

our city. I’ll be glad to sign a recall petition.

RICHARD MCGRATH

Huntington Beach