Editor, Daily Nexus,

I am writing to express my concern over the signatures that were being gathered on campus to put the Gail Marshall recall on the ballot.

In the past two weeks, I was approached several times by the petitioners from National Voters Outreach, who were paid by the political opponents of Gail Marshall to gather signatures from students supporting her recall. As a UCSB student and Santa Ynez Valley native, I feel offended that these petitioners would lie to me about the facts of the petition, initially claiming that the signatures were to support clean water. When questioned about the Gail Marshall recall petition that had been slipped in behind the clean water petition, the petitioners made up various stories about the recall, going so far as to claim that Gail’s own family supports it!

I am further frustrated by the fact that the petitioners are asking me to support the replacement of Gail Marshall with a county supervisor who would be less supportive of Isla Vista residents and UCSB students like myself. The petitioners did not inform me that the vote, were they to gather enough votes to put the recall on the ballot, would take place while UCSB students are gone for the summer!

My concern has been raised to such levels that I have volunteered my time to work with the No On Recall campaign to inform local residents and students about the facts of the petitions and recall. I hope that other UCSB students will realize that the petitions they are being asked to sign to support the recall of Gail Marshall are being unethically promoted and if the issue does come to a vote, will take time to educate themselves about the truth of the issue.

MEIGHAN JACKSON

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