ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Pretty Picture

If a picture is worth a thousand words, the sight of former Supervisor Don R. Roth clad in paint-stained jeans and a cap working off his community service sentences spoke volumes.

Even the once high and mighty cannot claim to stand above a good leveling experience, accustomed though they may be to having developers and campaign contributors seeking their favor. In Roth’s case, that meant applying 200 hours’ worth of elbow grease to pay his debt to society and to benefit two local nonprofit groups.

Roth’s community service requirement was part of the plea bargain he struck with prosecutors over allegations of influence peddling. But even that did not go smoothly at first. The Times reported last spring that Roth was performing his community service by organizing a charity golf event, hardly an example of doing nitty-gritty cleanup work. Prosecutors rightly determined that it just was not good enough.

But now they say they are satisfied that Roth really has done his part. Two local nonprofit groups have submitted sworn letters to the court detailing the time the former board chairman spent doing the hands-on work.

One official opined that he “felt bad” to see a former official who once wielded so much power in Orange County stripping wallpaper and painting bathrooms.

But don’t fret for Roth. The work has dignity and importance in its own right. He had it coming to him, and it’s good to see that he finally rolled up his sleeves and tackled it in good faith.