ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Better Late Than Never

It has taken too long for the County Board of Supervisors to get serious about campaign financing reform.

Years back, some politicians were jailed for corruption and voters got so fed up that there was no way for officials to duck reform. The board, reading the handwriting, passed the well-intentioned TINCUP ordinance.

But the corrupting influence of money from political action committees grew, and campaigns for an array of county offices fell under the spell of special-interest contributions. At last, and under pressure yet again, the board now has agreed to a campaign financing initiative for the June ballot--even though the supervisors didn’t exactly champion the measure.

The sweeping campaign reform law approved by the board Tuesday would, among other things, cap the contributions that candidates for countywide office could receive. The reforms were proposed by activist Shirley L. Grindle, seeking to close a major loophole in the old ordinance, which she helped fashion more than a decade ago.

The board has signed on, aware of all the publicity PAC money has received, and perhaps respectful of Grindle’s reputation for perseverance. Even Supervisor Don R. Roth, who earlier spoke against reform in favor of unlimited contributions, joined in unanimity rather than put on an unhappy face.

The decision to put the reform before the voters could herald an important change in the way business is done at the county level. The supervisors, for example, have routinely accepted campaign contributions and then gone on to reward donors with lucrative contracts, rebates and generous raises.

The proposed reforms deserve a full and fair discussion in the public arena between now and June. In the end, real campaign financing reform can only strengthen the credibility of county government.