VOICES

Times readers recently were asked to gaze into their crystal balls and offer their predictions for the biggest challenges, personal and civic, of 1994. Not surprisingly, crime, jobs and education figured prominently. Some readers also proposed detailed solutions. Below are excerpts from the taped TimesLink messages and faxes received over the past week.

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“I feel that the major issues in Orange County are getting guns off the street, reducing the violence and supporting education in the county.”

Nancy Hoy, Laguna Beach, 56, Irvine Valley College professor

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“I see a lot of the ‘us’-versus- ‘them’ mentality in Orange County--Residents versus immigrants, developers versus environmentalists, rich versus poor--and I’d like to see greater unity and a more complete sense of community for 1994.”

Mary Litton, Costa Mesa

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“Orange County will have a lot more crime than we had this year, so I would like to see a lot of emphasis on crime. All cities (should) join forces and increase police presence. More search-and-seizures. A crackdown on gang members. Unless we do that, it will not be a safe county.”

Fares Batarseh, Anaheim, 35, sales manager for a bakery

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“The 1994 year (will give us) the opportunity to reach out to all segments of the population and also to make sure that the 40% of the population that is minority is fully integrated and becomes a player in everyday life in Orange County.”

Alfredo Amezcua, Santa Ana, 43, attorney

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“I believe that crime and jobs will remain the watchwords for the year ahead, both for government and in our personal lives. Gangs and the mayhem and the loss of life they cause will unfortunately worsen our social fabric. As time goes on, gang violence becomes more of an accepted fact of life than a disease befitting eradication.

“Jobs and their creation and retention will continue to be the other main source of concern. So many changes have occurred in 1993 with the passage of NAFTA and the loss of so many defense-related jobs that new and innovative ideas will need to come to the fore.”

Bob Baker, Anaheim, 42, operations analyst

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“The biggest 1994 challenge is education. Past programs have failed. Reason? Sex-education classes of the 1960s and ‘70s have failed to reduce the teen-age pregnancies. Pregnancies have actually increased. Discipline, ethnic problems, manner of dress, drugs, gangs and individual student safety . . . need improvement. Families with these concerns should be free to place their student in another school.

“The backbone of this program would be that no felon would be released to the streets until they get provided with proficiency in reading and writing,” he said. The land could also be used to build a reform school for at-risk youth in addition to housing for the homeless, he said.

Jack Giemont, Fullerton, 68, retired

Compiled by JENNIFER BRUNDIN / Los Angeles Times