[StBernard] Recall effort launched against St. Bernard President Craig Taffaro

[Westley Annis]

Recall effort launched against St. Bernard President Craig Taffaro
by Chris Kirkham and Bob Warren, The Times-Picayune 
Tuesday February 17, 2009, 7:01 PM
A group has launched a recall effort against St. Bernard Parish President
Craig Taffaro. 


Paul Molinary, a Chalmette resident spearheading the effort, delivered
papers to the Louisiana secretary of state Tuesday morning initiating the
recall process. The group has 180 days, from Tuesday, to gather signatures
of one-third of the parish's registered, active voters, said Jacques Berry,
a spokesman for the secretary of state. 

In St. Bernard Parish's case, that means the group must get the signatures
of 8,014 of the parish's 24,041 registered, active voters, Berry said. 

The signatures must be validated by the parish registrar of voters. If the
signatures pass muster, a recall election will be called. 

Asked his motive, Molinary said he has had several problems with Taffaro's
administration over obtaining building and occupational permits. But, he
said, the main contention of those seeking the recall is that Taffaro's
administration is moving too aggressively in demolishing homes damaged
during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

"I understand blighted houses needed to be destroyed, but he's tearing down
people's houses who are rebuilding," Molinary said. 

Taffaro took office in January 2008. 

During a news conference to discuss the recall, Taffaro, who campaigned for
parish president on a platform of trying to clear the parish of empty,
derelict homes, called the recall effort a "small distraction." 

"We're not going to spend a lot of time speculating about what's going to
happen, what's not going to happen," said Taffaro, flanked by more than 40
applauding parish employees. "I'm hoping that the distraction of this will
be minor and that we will continue the momentum." 

He said he had not been contacted by the authors of the petition, and said
he could have worked out any issues they had through a meeting. Collecting
more than 8,000 signatures is "a tough task," he added. 

Numerous elected officials in the metro area have been the subjects of
recent recall efforts; to date, none has been successful. 

. . . . . . . 

Chris Kirkham can be reached at ckirkham at timespicayune.com or 504.826.3321.
Bob Warren can be reached at bwarren at timespicayune.com or 504.826.3363.