Editor, Daily Nexus,

Before Gail Marshall was elected to the County Board of Supervisors, there was no active housing inspection program in Isla Vista, or the entire county for that matter. One of the first things Marshall did as a county supervisor was to follow up on her campaign promise by delivering a housing inspector to Isla Vista.

This Housing Inspection Program was viciously opposed by the landlords who had enjoyed an unfettered landlord-tenant relationship in Isla Vista and throughout the County. Now, if a tenant has a problem with their unit they can call the housing inspector who will respond (their number is 685-0913). Since the program began, housing inspectors have responded to over 500 calls for service, and landlords have been forced to clean up their act.

This program would never have been made available if Gail Marshall did not fight for our rights. Now the landlords want to remove Gail from office by forcing a special recall election in the middle of the summer.

If you signed a petition “just to put the election on the ballot,” you have put the landlords one step closer to their goal. They know fewer tenants will be around to vote in the summer when the recall election would take place. They know that it is their best chance to defeat Gail and roll back the clock on the positive work she has accomplished, which includes the housing inspection program.

When you are asked to fill out a card to remove your name from the petition, it is your best way to exercise your voice. Say no to the landlords’ power grab and say no to the recall.

ALEXIS STONE

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