Effort to recall Guinn comes up short

Monday, Nov. 24, 2003 | 10:43 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The drive to recall Gov. Kenny Guinn has failed to gain the 128,109 signatures required to put the issue to the voters.

Tony Dane, chairman of the recall effort, said he would file the petition today with Secretary of State Dean Heller in Las Vegas. He declined to say how many signatures were gathered.

The petition will bear only the signatures of the three members of the board of directors, including Dane's. But he said more than 51,243, which would be required for an initiative petition or a referendum, were gathered.

Guinn said he appreciated the support of organized labor, the media and other groups. "I put my trust in the hands of the people. I didn't do anything but continue to work."

He said, however, he thought the all of the petitions should be filed to see how many actual voters signed.

One reason for not turning in the signatures, Dane said, is the fear of retribution. He said some of those who signed the recall document do business with the state and county government. He said there was a fear they may suffer if their names were known.

The deadline for gathering the required signatures is Tuesday.

Dane said the campaign was "underfunded and harassed."

"We didn't have the finances" to hire people to get the signatures, Dane said. The drive also ran into problems in sitting up desks at public buildings such as at the state Department of Motor Vehicles and the Clark County Government Building.

If the effort had received enough signatures, Dane said he was confident the voters would have cast their ballot to remove Guinn from office.

Dane said he would not file a report on those who gave money to the campaign.

Christopher Hansen, one of the major supporters of the recall, said he has now turned his efforts to the petitions to repeal the $833 tax package enacted by the 2003 Legislature and to prohibit public employees from serving in the Legislature.