Website Launched Announcing Plans To Recall 7th Dist. Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga

WHY should the 7th District citizens Perform a Recall on Councilwoman Reyes-Uranga?

1. Tonia Reyes-Uranga promised during her campaign that she would oppose expansion of the airport. She received most of her votes from airport-impacted precincts as a result of that promise.

2. On June 20, 2006, Tonia voted to certify an Environmental Impact Report that failed to consider noise and air-pollution impacts on neighborhoods in her district, thus allowing the City to proceed with its airport expansion project, to the detriment of the neighborhoods Tonia represents. Tonia provided the critical fifth vote necessary for this certification.

3. After being flooded with calls and e-mails contacts from angry constituents, Tonia agreed to move to reconsider the EIR certification vote at the next council meeting but then failed to do so when the City Attorney erroneously ruled it out of order. Instead of pressing the City Attorney to back up his erroneous opinion with legal authority, Tonia let the matter drop.

4. Tonia was then urged to move to rescind the EIR certification vote (or to vote in favor of such a motion, if offered by another member of the Council). She has declined to do so, contending that "Nobody I’ve talked to wants to rescind the EIR."

5. The EIR that Tonia voted to certify permits the City to nearly double the size of the total existing facility (including temporary holding rooms), triple the size of the existing permanent structure, and increase by between 20 and 40% the number of aircraft parking positions. It will undoubtedly lead to a significant increase in the number of flights, disrupting classroom activities in more than 30 schools, disturbing some of Long Beach’s longest-established neighborhoods, adding greatly to the air pollution in the entire City, and creating massive traffic problems on Long Beach streets and highways as millions of additional people transit through Long Beach’s supersized new airport.

HOW will The 7th District go about doing a recall effort?

On October 16th, 2006, a recall effort can be filed with the City.

WHEN would this be taking place?

California law prohibits beginning a recall effort in the first 90 days of a new term of office, so Tonia has until October 16, 2006 to fix the problems her original vote have created. If Tonia does not take action by then to undo the EIR Certification that was made possible by her vote, she should be recalled. We need someone in that office who will represent the interests of the district, not the interests of JetBlue and the Airport.

NOW. Gather those neighbors that are unhappy with Tonia's lack of performance regarding LB Airport and other significant issues. Then same issues that she ran on in areas North of the 405. Sign up on our guestbook.

JULY 18th, 2006 / Tuesday Tonia is formally re-installed into office at City Hall on Tuesday, July 18th, 2006

JULY - October / 90 Days Continue To organize & gain support throughout the communities within the 7th District

OCTOBER 16th, 2006 / Tuesday The first day anyone may file a recall effort on a City of LB Official sworn in on Tuesday July 18th