Send the Jeffco school board recallers a life raft because, if their political stunts are any indication, they are running into some problems gathering the necessary signatures to get on the ballot. Or, at least get on the November ballot.  Yesterday, all the union members who have already signed the recall petition lined the streets hoping to snag a signature or two from workers on their commutes home.

Yesterday, an enterprising Jeffco resident sent us this photo of the “mad rush” to sign the recall petition in Jeffco. We’re kidding, there’s no mad rush.  We’re pretty sure this guy is catching up on his Atlantic reading.

Recall bust

Earlier this week, Jeffco teachers union spox Lynea Hansen told media that her ragtag crew of Jeffco recallers (and the many paid operatives) were about 50% of their way to their goal, and hoped to be wrapped by Saturday.

According to CBS, the union goal is 75,000 signatures total – 25,000 for each member to be recalled. Since the recall petition sheet of lies language was approved on July 8, the union front group, Jeffco United for Action, has gathered approximately 37,500 signatures, if Hansen is to be believed (and she’s lied in the media before).  That’s not too bad, right? That’s 5,000 signatures per day on average. That said, those first signatures are low-hanging fruit – people who feel passionately about this issue. The goal of an additional 37,500 signatures in less than a week is pretty daunting. That’s 7,500 signatures per day gleaned by our avid reader above.

And, what’s all this urgency?  They have at least another month by statute, but if the JCEA doesn’t get this on the November ballot, it will cost the Jeffco School District $500,000 to $650,000. That’s a lot of money (that could go to education) to waste on political shenanigans by extremists accusing the recallees (it’s a real word) of wasting taxpayer dollars. In short, if this does not make the November ballot, this entire campaign’s messaging will implode.

And, make no mistake, Jeffco is the union’s Waterloo, as we noted earlier this year. If the JCEA loses Jeffco, there could be a domino effect throughout the state and, possibly, even the country.  The National Education Association (aka the national teachers union) is going to throw everything it has at this effort because it simply cannot afford to lose.