A Tale of Two Potential Recalls,

Also known as, “At least Gloria didn't find a way to get $20,000 in reimbursements from the city!”

Earlier today, the city clerk in Kansas City, Missouri announced that a committee seeking to recall Mayor Mark Funkhouser fell less than 150 signatures shy of the 16,950 required to trigger a November by-election. The committee that sought the recall pursued the recall, citing that Funkhouser had violated Missouri's nepotism law when he appointed his wife Gloria Squitiro as a full-time volunteer assistant to his office, continuing to do so when the city passed their own ordinance, however by way of meeting with staff at the city's main library. Despite being saved by 150 fans or otherwise apathetic, uninterested, unaware, or uncanvased suburbanites, hopefully the mayor will make amends with critical elements of the city populace before 2011 comes around. KC still has infrastructure to repair.

At least that money can't be sought to reimburse church donations, as the Telegraph today states that Labour MP Frank Cook did just that for a £5 made in 2006. No additional casualties today, but focus turns from new claim reports to the severance pay packages available for MPs that have announced they would not seek re-election. Currently, only one of the 13 MPs bowing out because of the scandal (Speaker Michael Martin) is actually leaving the House before the next election, again to occur no later than June 2010. The remaining 12 (several of whom were also involved in nepotism!) are expecting to sit idly in the back and go home, head secured between their tails, with a hefty retirement package. Unless, of course, they too make their way to the manors at either Chiltern Hundreds or Northstead, or their expense claims warrant criminal prosecution, or Parliament rips away those retirement pensions.

Not an option at the moment are the very petition-driven recalls that have been attempted in KC and also in Portland, Oregon. Citizens have circulated petitions that call on their MP to step down, but those are, legally, mere statements of public opinion. Were this an option, certainly this would be another tool in place to convince a government spiralling out of control and losing support to give up the ghost and put their track record before their constituents. Of course, a recall option would need specific guidelines to make sure that no frivolous reason, mass revolt or a sneaky way to bypass the manors of Chiltern Hundreds & Northstead triggers a recall vote. Already Tory leader David Cameron has suggested that the power of recall be part of sweeping reforms enacted for Parliament.

These remain unprecedented situations, and perhaps one can learn from the other: 1) recalls can work, and 2) nepotism doesn't bode too well in effective democracies. (*cough*Shull*cough*Moriarty*cough*cough*)