Allies of Phoenix mayor fight recall effort

July 25 12:05:01 PM, Yahoo News

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, center, talks to the media before boarding a new Metro light rail train in Phoenix, in this July 10, 2008 file photo. Anna Gaines, a retired teacher, is leading an effort to recall Gordon, because, she said, illegal immigrants are committing crimes in Phoenix and Gordon isn't doing enough to fix the problem. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

AP - It's a political oddity: a TV commercial extolling the public safety record of a sitting mayor, except the spot isn't soliciting votes and the politician's name isn't scheduled to appear on the November ballot.

The commercial promoting Mayor Phil Gordon appears to be an attempt to head off a recall effort against him by advocates for tougher immigration enforcement.

Yet Gordon, who has faced criticism for the police department's immigration policies, didn't produce the advertisement, though he's more than happy to have the support of the political committee that did.

"I am just grateful that there are good messages going out, especially at a time when you have some extremists trying to stop the city progress, trying to stop myself from continuing to go forward as a mayor," said Gordon, who last year won a second term with 77 percent of the vote to lead the nation's fifth-largest city.

Anna Gaines said her group, American Citizens United, launched the recall effort because illegal immigrants are committing crimes in Phoenix and Gordon isn't doing enough to fix the problem.

"We have to remove him before he causes any more damage to this city," said Gaines, a native of Mexico who came to the United States legally and became an American citizen.

The group needs to collect petition signatures from nearly 24,000 of Phoenix's 521,000 registered voters by Aug. 28. If enough valid signatures are gathered, Gordon could either resign or let voters decide whether to oust him.

It is unclear when a recall election could be held. Officials said that would depend on when recall organizers turn in signatures and how long it would take election workers to verify them. The election couldn't be scheduled for 90 days after that, making it unlikely to appear on the November ballot.

Gaines declined to say how many signatures her group has gotten so far.

Billy Shields, leader of Support Our Mayor, the group behind the TV ad, said the spot wasn't intended to beat back the recall effort, though he acknowledged its message would help counter those seeking the mayor's ouster.

Instead, the commercial was meant to inform the public about Gordon's efforts to improve public safety and redevelop downtown Phoenix, he said.

"It's not a campaign ad," said Shields, whose group has raised about $100,000 and plans to continue running the spot. "This is about propping up the inertia and energy of the leadership of Phil Gordon and taking our city to a new level."

Gordon, whose tenure has focused heavily on downtown development and public transportation efforts, was faulted last year for a long-standing police department policy that prevented officers from questioning suspects' immigration status, except for those suspected of committing a serious felony.

After the mayor appointed a panel to recommend changes to the policy, police amended the rules so officers could ask all criminal suspects about their immigration status. Gaines said the change was made because advocates like herself pushed for it.

Gordon has touted the police department's large number of arrests of criminal immigrants and its efforts to disrupt smuggling networks. He also has expressed frustration with the federal government's efforts to confront illegal immigration.

Located more than 150 miles from the border, Phoenix is the busiest smuggling hub in the United States, partly because it offers a myriad transportation routes for sending migrants to other regions.

The mayor went on the offensive this spring by criticizing Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration and crime sweeps in two predominantly Hispanic areas of Phoenix. Gordon has asked for a federal investigation of Arpaio for possible civil rights violations.

James Svara, a professor at Arizona State University's School of Public Affairs who studies local governments, said the TV commercial could remind voters of Gordon's record before they are approached by recall organizers.

"It makes it harder to find those people who may want to sign the petition," said Svara, who had not seen the ad.

Although the recall effort's signature threshold isn't terribly high given the city's size, organizers will have to approach many voters in their attempt to try to sink the popular mayor, he noted.

The recall effort is an all-volunteer campaign with no paid signature-gathers, Gaines said. Volunteers include members of the Minuteman movement and other groups seeking tougher immigration policies.

___

On the Net:

American Citizens United: http://www.recallmayorgordon.com

Mayor Phil Gordon: http://www.mayorgordon.com

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