Legislators and the Anaheim Site for a New County Jail

Your editorial (“Jail Funds Pawn of Power Play,” June 15) suggests that legislative opponents are trying to curry favor with voters by opposing the Anaheim Stadium jail site.

Orange County has been well served on many occasions by the legislative skill and leadership of state Sen. John Seymour and Assemblyman Richard Robinson. They enjoy success due to serving the best interests of their constituents, but what has set them apart has been their willingness to tackle very tough issues.

The jail overcrowding and jail site selection process is such an issue. I believe that county residents should be thankful for the legislators’ opposition to the Katella Avenue-Douglas Road site.

Seymour and Robinson were doing precisely what they were elected to do: representing their constituents. They used their knowledge of the political system to fight this fiasco of putting a jail on such a precious piece of property. Who knows the area better than a past Anaheim mayor or the assemblyman who has represented it so ably for 12 years? They know that a jail is not compatible with major sports complexes here, or anywhere in the state.

The only pawning in this entire matter has been the decision to “pawn” the crown of the county taxpayer real estate for short-term jail beds. Sale of that property to private business would generate over $10 million--money that could be used with Proposition 52 funds toward quickly building a new “remote” jail.

The solution is to build a remote site jail, expand existing facilities to their maximum, and use detoxification centers and home incarceration to further reduce jail population. No urban site exists that would be acceptable or could be built before a new remote site jail could be opened.

My thanks to Sen. Seymour and Assemblyman Robinson. I hope that Gov. George Deukmejian will listen to them.

RALPH B. CLARK

Chairman

Orange County Board of Supervisors