From LOU PONSI, OC REGISTER

A recall campaign targeting three City Council members, accused of protecting the police officers involved in the fatal altercation with a mentally ill homeless man, is about to kick into high gear, an organizer said.

The campaign targets Mayor F. Richard Jones and councilmen Pat McKinley and Don Bankhead.

A poster of Kelly Thomas hangs near the Fullerton Transportation Center's bus depot. The homeless man died after a physical altercation with Fullerton police officers on July 5, causing outrage amongst many in the community.

Recall organizer Chris Thompson, who sits on the Fullerton School District board, said the three, because of their support of the Fullerton Police Officers’ Association, has “put the security of those cops and the union way ahead of the security of the people and the transparency (for) the people.”

Recall supporters also accuse the three council members of fiscal irresponsibility, voting in favor of what they call an illegal tax on water rates, and supporting the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency, which they say results in less revenue to the general fund.

The recall effort has until Feb.16 to gather 10,554 qualified signatures – 15 percent of Fullerton voters – for each council-member petition. If successful, the three ballot items would be in front of voters in an election; the date has not been determined.

"We have dozens of people who volunteered to gather signatures,” Thompson said. “We will gather the signatures in a fraction of the time that is required.”

Read more at OCRegister.com.