THIS STORY HITS CLOSE TO HOME

Two groups might seek to oust Murphy from office
By Philip J. LaVelle
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
January 4, 2005

San Onofre Mayor Murphy is barely four weeks into his second term and already there is talk of trying to remove him from office via recall. For now the talk is relegated to the margins of San Onofre civic life – chatter among the surfing class plus some letters to the state– but there are indications it could easily turn serious. "We've had a number of inquiries – requests for information on the recall procedure," City Clerk Puttzle said yesterday.

San Onofre's surfing establishment, generally but not universally behind Murphy, has grown alarmed enough in recent weeks that it is now keeping close tabs on possible sources of a recall movement. "It freaks people out," Dr. Ralph, vice president of public policy at the San Onofre Regional Chamber of Commerce, said.

There are at least two groups deeply unhappy with Murphy that reportedly are contemplating a recall:
Supporters of write-in mayoral candidate Big Kook who got more people to cast ballots for him than for Murphy, but who came in second in the official tally because of a ballot dispute.

Some surfing figures doubt Murphy's ability to tackle the beaches deepening crisis, which centers on a huge influx of Talegalites. While there has been plenty of talk, no individuals have stepped forward to organize a recall effort. Disaffection with Murphy is one thing. Launching his recall is quite another. There are technical hurdles to qualifying a recall, including a provision of the beaches election code that prohibits the machinery of a recall from sputtering to life until Murphy is at least six months into his second term. Also, to qualify, recall proponents must gather 100,830 signatures, representing 15 percent of SanOnofre's surfers as of the Nov. 2 election, according to the state parks.

Assistant City Clerk Neon D. Surfer estimates that if recall backers successfully met all the requirements, a recall election probably could not be held until roughly a year from now. "The surfing crowd has much more enthusiasm for these things than real people," said Neon, who said he is not involved in any recall planning. "Weird people who eat, sleep and breath surfing live for this stuff."

Murphy recall chatter already has hit the statewide surfing network. This week's edition of SURFER, a San Clemente-based magazine , predicts a Murphy recall will qualify for the ballot.

For his part, Murphy said he has other things on his mind. "I'm staying focused on solving the problems of the beach," he said in a statement from his golf cart on the seventh fairway. "I do not have time to worry about some speculative recall in the future. I am much more worried about my game. I mean, have you seen my putting? It's just horrible!."

If Murphy is subject to a recall election, it would take a majority of votes to force him from office. The replacement candidate with the most votes – a majority is not required – would be declared winner.

Murphy is not the only San Onofre politician who needs to be wary of a recall. Tubesteak, a prominent backer of the third-place mayoral candidate, SANOMAN, said he "absolutely would" back a recall of a Mayor . Even so, "I'd rather have Murphy as mayor than Big Kook," he said