Republican Ex-Democrats

The article on the political party switchers (May 11) was too misleading to take sitting down.

Democrats, for example, have outnumbered Republicans in Orange County four times since 1938, not just once.

More surprising were the conclusions that “Republicanism” permeates business and local government in Orange County. There are no facts to support such a conclusion. As Frank Barbaro also told the reporter, quality, not party label, makes a business successful. I don’t think the people of Orange County would have it any other way.

As for nonpartisan elections, Democrats won almost two-thirds of the city council seats they ran for in 1986. Almost half of the county’s mayors are Democrats. But more important, neither political party should be dictating who gets elected in nonpartisan elections.

It is true that the Republican Party has done an excellent job here in Orange County, and some “summer soldiers” will find irresistible the money the GOP can offer in campaign contributions. Others, like Bill Dannemeyer before them, seemingly find it more comfortable to join a political party whose leaders support oil drilling off our coast, who squeeze our school budgets to the bone and have yet to submit a balanced budget to Congress.

Perhaps The Times should examine the elected officials who are Democrats and who get elected and reelected because they do their job well, are in touch with their communities and know that as far as business and local government are concerned, people want hard work and quality, not a party label.

JOHN R. HANNA

Chairman,

Democratic Party

of Orange County