Except for one mayoral recall in the City of Flint, I generally don’t support recall efforts. Not, necessarily, for ideological reasons, but for practical ones.

Recall efforts require a lot of effort, waste a lot of time and ultimately — if the recall proponents manage to gather enough signatures to force a vote — a lot of taxpayer money on not one, but two special elections. After you recall an elected official or officials, you then need to hold another election to vote someone in, unless there is a provision in the municipality’s charter that allows for the remaining members to appoint someone to fill the vacated position.

Such would not be the case in the Village of Goodrich, where four of the five council members — Edmund York, Ralph “Pete” Morey, David Lucik and Richard Horton — face a possible recall effort. Councilmember Patricia Wartella is not being recalled.

Resident Greg Tankersley filed the petitions in the county clerk’s office on Oct. 2. Now a judge will review the language, and if approved, Tankersley and his supporters will canvass Goodrich’s neighborhoods and see if they can get the necessary signatures to put the issue to vote.

I could argue, ideologically speaking, that another problem with recalls is that they subvert voters’ wishes by removing officials from the terms of office to which they were duly elected.

For these, and other reasons too numerous to argue here, I generally don’t support recall efforts.

Well, I support this one.

Goodrich seems to have more than a touch of recall fever — the four officials facing recall took office in 2005 after residents recalled the previous council.

I support this effort so residents can learn more about the people who could be recalled and who in the village wants the recall — to learn what kind of leaders you have and what you could end up with.

Mostly I support this effort so residents can see — again — how divisive recalls are, how much acrimony they create and how much time and resources they waste. Apparently, some people don’t seem to get it unless they are frequently reminded with yet another political sacrifice.

Stand up, speak out and work to get your leaders to listen to your wishes? Sure.
Rail on and demand that people be removed from office because you don’t agree with them? No. Imagine the instability.

If disagreeing with someone were justification for removing them from office, the President would have been gone long ago. What’s his approval rating, something like 32 percent?

If you elect someone, you elect them to a specified term. If you don’t like what they’re doing, vote them out the next time they’re on the ballot.

People need to learn from past lessons — and someone new isn’t always someone better.

General Election Info:
The general election is Nov. 6.

Anyone with questions about election procedures, absentee ballots or other inquiries should contact their local clerk’s office.

• Voters will need to bring a photo ID — driver’s license, federal or state government issued photo ID, Michigan ID card, U.S. passport, military ID card with photo or a tribal identification card with photo.

• Voters who don’t bring a photo ID to the voting precinct will have to sign an affidavit of identity to vote.

• People who want to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail need to make the request by 2 p.m. Nov. 3.

• Voters who want to walk into the clerk’s office and vote at the counter must do so by 4 p.m. Nov. 5. They will have to show photo identification.

More Tips