Marc S. Posner
North County News
Orange County Register
16 Jan 1993: B08.
The inauguration of a new president is just days away, but members of the group that worked to put Ross Perot on the presidential ballot won’t rest until the government becomes more responsive.
As Bill Clinton prepares to take office, Perot’s United We Stand America is evolving from a campaign group to a government watchdog.
Leaders of an Orange County chapter of United We Stand America said the group wants to clean up government.
But what is it that makes members believe they’ll succeed where other third-party and splinter groups have failed before?
One easy answer: Perot received 19 percent of the vote nationwide.
“I’d say the main thing here is the great dedication of the people to get back in control of their government,” said Floyd Hill, co-coordinator of the La Habra-based group.
Success will come in part because of Perot’s continued visibility, said Mark Sturdevant, the group’s other co-coordinator.
“He captured the imagination of the American public,” Sturdevant said.
The local group draws as many as 90 members to its weekly meetings, which is more than during the presidential campaign.
Perot has asked supporters to pay $15 to become members of United We Stand.
Addressing the national debt is the group’s top priority, Hill said. He called it “a time bomb that’s just going to blow the US away.”
All chapters will monitor the elected state and national representatives from their area and report on what each one is doing, Hill said.
“We figure with the big block of people … concentrated on these areas, our voice is going to be heard,” he said.
Hill added: “It’s a sharp departure from what has happened in the past, because we – and I include myself – didn’t pay attention to what our elected officials were doing.”
Copyright Orange County Register Jan 16, 1993