THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 15, 1995 TAG: 9502140135
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 144 lines
BUNDLED IN coats against the cold Saturday outside the Central Library, Louis Cafiero and James A. Totin were a contrast in styles as they sought signatures on a petition to oust School Board member Charles W. Vincent.
Cafiero got in people's faces, recruiting them to take pen in hand.
Totin stood by with a large sign and waited for people to approach him.
Together, they collected close to 40 signatures in little more than an hour.
``I get hoarse, and he gets signatures,'' Cafiero said.
Saturday was the fourth day in a citywide drive to gather enough registered voters' signatures to petition the Circuit Court to remove Vincent. It was the day petitioners really gathered steam, hitting neighborhoods, public areas like the library and an early morning breakfast hosted by Republicans. Pastors at some churches volunteered to circulate the petitions among their parishioners.
This is the first time in city history that residents have sought to remove an elected official.
Petitioners say Vincent, elected to the 11-member board in May, is incompetent and has misused his office. They cite three reasons he should be removed: his legal battle, in which a judge will decide next week whether to uphold Vincent's conviction on nine counts of ethics violations; Vincent's use of the title doctor, based on a counseling psychology degree from a California religious school not authorized by that state to issue such degrees; and, during the campaign, his distribution of business cards with the Virginia seal, which is reserved for use by state officials.
Vincent has refused to step down. His attorney, Andrew M. Sacks, has said it is unfair to pressure him to leave his seat until his court case is settled.
If Vincent's conviction stands, state law requires him to vacate his seat, although attorneys disagree over whether he must leave it immediately or could remain during appeals.
Organizers of the petition drive do not want to wait. If they are successful in their signature drive, the petition will be presented in Circuit Court and the judges will decide whether Vincent should be removed from office.
They expect to have enough signatures in six to eight weeks to petition the court, even though they aren't sure yet how many they need. State law is unclear on that question. John T. Early Jr., chairman of Kids First, the group leading the drive, is asking the court for a ruling.
Early said estimates have ranged from 3,500 signatures to upward of 7,000. The group plans to collect more than is required, in case some of the signatures turn out not to be registered voters.
No matter what the numbers, getting people to sign the petition is tedious work.
Cafiero knows. The physician is an old hand at gathering signatures for political campaigns. Generally, Cafiero said, it takes nine or 10 approaches to get one signature.
``I think everyone running for office should have to gather the signatures for their own petitions. I think we'd have a lot fewer people running and more committed people.''
Saturday, in front of the library, many people passed through the sliding glass doors. Few knew what the Vincent controversy was all about. Cafiero didn't push. He asked over and over, ``Are you familiar with the School Board?'' until someone hesitated, a glimmer of recognition in the eye.
Then he'd reel them in, reminding them about Vincent's court case and the allegations that his doctorate is not valid.
``I could press somebody when they're not knowledgeable,'' Cafiero said. ``I don't think it would be fair.
``If a person doesn't know, I don't want to convince them to sign.''
Totin, 52, owner of a custom plastics business, hung back more. He held a large white sign, advertising his quest to get rid of Vincent.
``You can see. You can look at the person's eyes and see if they're interested,'' said Totin, who is organizing the petition drive for the Kids First group. ``They can read. If they're motivated, they'll come to me.''
Going door-to-door for signatures is tougher.
William H. Carson II, a math teacher at Bayside High School who canvassed his neighborhood Saturday afternoon, got about half the signatures that Cafiero and Totin did, in about as much time.
Some of his neighbors recognized him from last spring, when he sought signatures to make himself a candidate for the School Board. Carson never ran, because state law prohibits School Board employees from serving on the board.
He doesn't like the task for which he has volunteered.
``I feel a little bit uncomfortable with this, because I hate going after people,'' Carson said. ``It's really the degree situation that bothers me the most.
``I wish he'd resign.''
Trudging from yard to yard in the cold, knocking on doors and delivering the same spiel over and over, Carson acknowledged that it was daunting to think of all the signatures needed to make the petition drive work.
``I think if enough people pick up the ball, maybe that multiplying effect will do it,'' he said.
Early said he is encouraged by results so far. He got 130 signatures over the weekend. Totin estimated Monday that other petitioners had collected 500 more since last Wednesday, when the drive began.
``I'm finding that people are just primed to take part,'' Early said. ``And it's simply a matter of just identifying what you're doing.''
Many people had questions, such as why none of the information about Vincent had surfaced during the election.
``I thought he was already out,'' said Charles I. ``Chuck'' Boggs, 52, who has one child still in the school system, a senior at First Colonial High School. Boggs signed.
George W. Fleck, 37, needed little explanation. Fleck practically grabbed the petition out of Totin's hands outside the library Saturday.
``How'd this bozo get elected in the first place?'' Fleck said. ``Now he doesn't know when to quit.
``I think it reflects very poorly on our city that someone like Mr. Vincent, or Dr. Vincent, as he calls himself, can get elected and then doesn't have the good grace to resign when he gets into trouble.''
Most people who knew something about the Vincent controversy agreed to sign the petition.
``I feel that if these charges are legitimate, he should be made to answer them,'' said Patricia L. Kuhlman, 32, who has three children in the school system. ``Especially public officials, they should be held accountable for their actions.''
Those who declined to sign either did not know enough about the allegations against Vincent or they worked for the school system.
Carson said that, for the most part, he has had no difficulty getting teachers to sign.
``I think for teachers it's a very large issue,'' he said. ``People wanted to sign it, even though I told them there was no pressure.'' ILLUSTRATION: Charles W. Vincent
Photos by PETER D. SUNDBERG
Louis Cafiero, a supporter of the Kids First group that is leading
the signature drive, is the first to sign one of the petitions he
intends to distribute.
John Early, chairman of Kids First, gives petitions to volunteer
Louis Cafiero as the two prepared to work the Central Library. They
collected close to 40 signatures in little more than an hour. The
group may need more than 7,000 for a judge to oust Vincent.
Jim Totin, left, solicits a signature from Charles Plyler during a
door-to-door canvass. Totin, whose is organizing the petition drive,
says he's not using pressure tactics. ``You can look at the person's
eyes and see if they're interested,'' he said.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD PETITION CHARLES VINCENT by CNB