Jaime Paige Venice, Current/SMDP Staff Writer
The clock to recall Councilmember Mike Bonin has started. A group looking to recall the councilmember officially launched a bid to remove Bonin ahead of the regular election cycle this morning.
Recall Bonin 2021, the group looking to unseat the councilmember, mailed Bonin an intent to recall letter by certified mail Monday. The group said they tried to serve Bonin the letter on Friday, but felt he was hiding and they could not reach him. On Tuesday morning, a process server was able to locate Bonin and give him the papers in person.
The recall committee said that Bonin has failed to keep promises to the district. It also said he continually ignores his constituents failing to answer phone calls or emails while CD11 is going through a humanitarian, public and safety crisis.
"Since he was first elected to represent the citizens and residents of Los Angeles City Council District 11 in 2013, Councilman Mike Bonin's history of broken promises, terrible and counter-productive public policy proposals, and unwillingness to listen or take action to represent the interests of the people and communities of the westside of Los Angeles have had devastating consequences," said the petition.
"The humanitarian crisis of the homeless population is growing exponentially. Tax payer money is squandered. Fires. Struggling local businesses. Crime is rampant and rising. Neighborhoods and schools are unsafe. We feel afraid to visit public beaches and community parks."
"After seven years of this self-serving incumbent career politician, we have had enough, and we can't wait any longer."
In a statement, Bonin said the recall campaign is an extravagant waste of taxpayer money and a thinly disguised attempt to derail his efforts to provide real solutions to the homelessness crisis. He said it's an example of a broader move to recall and silence strong progressive voices.
"A recall election, held right before regularly scheduled city elections, would be a waste of millions of dollars of taxpayer money -- dollars that could be better invested in addressing our homelessness crisis and providing essential services to help families and improve neighborhoods," he said.
"This effort is encouraged, backed and fueled by people who have repeatedly fought to stop housing, shelter and services, perpetuating a crisis that is hurting our neighborhoods and leaving people to die on the streets."
Bonin said his recall has been championed and promoted by the same right-wing forces that are trying to erode the democratic process and take down progressive officials around the state. He said he would not be deterred in his efforts and would keep pushing for progressive change.
After the paperwork is verified, Recall Bonin 2021 would need to collect more than 27,000 valid signatures between July and early November. If that goes as expected, a presentation to recall will be made to the full Council mid December.
Councilmember Mike Bonin started putting fundraising mechanisms in place for the 2022 CD11 office last November and has already started fundraising for that race.
Bonin was first elected as the CD 11 councilmember in July 2013 and was reelected on July 1, 2017, with a term to expire on Dec. 11, 2022.
CD4 for CD4, a campaign committee formed last month, served Councilwoman Nithya Raman with a recall notice outside her Silver Lake home last Wednesday. On its website and elsewhere, the committee argued that Raman’s office is inexperienced unresponsive and too politically radical for her constituents to endure a full four-year term.
Efforts are also underway to recall Los Angeles D.A. George Gascon as well as Governor Gavin Newsom.
A website for the recall can be found at www.recallbonin2021.com.
