ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Gifts That Can Prove Very Costly

An outright ban on all gifts might go a little far, but the Orange County Board of Supervisors is on the right track in proposing strict new limits on gifts that can be accepted by county officials. The action follows by just two weeks the resignation of Supervisor Don R. Roth, who is the subject of several investigations over his political finances.

New gift restrictions should help restore confidence in county government, which was undermined by Roth’s activities.

Specific limits have not yet been proposed. But Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder suggested a good rule of thumb: “If you weren’t in public office, would you get it?” The question applies to all county staff, elected or non-elected.

Perhaps if Roth had asked himself that question, he might not have accepted a lifetime golf membership, fancy dinners or other perks from people who had business before the Board of Supervisors. Roth has denied criminal wrongdoing, saying at most he technically violated state conflict-of-interest laws.

Currently, county officials are governed by state law, which prohibits acceptance of gifts totaling more than $1,000 from a single source within a year. County supervisors also cannot vote on matters affecting anyone who has given them more than $250 in gifts in a year’s time. All gifts of $50 or more must be reported.

These guidelines are too lenient, however. On the other hand, a total ban might unnecessarily raise questions about such simple matters as gifts from personal friends, or attendance at public receptions. But token or personal gifts aside, there’s no place in county government for gifts from people who appear before the Board of Supervisors on any matter. Public officials shouldn’t get perks just for doing their jobs.

As a guideline, Orange County might look to the rules set by the city of Los Angeles, where officials cannot take more than $25 in food or hospitality from lobbyists, or more than $100 from anyone with business before them, in a calendar year.

These or similar rules might go a long way in earning the Board of Supervisors the gift of renewed public confidence.