‘Nonpartisan’ a Misnomer for Race

* Reading the newspapers last Thursday morning (“Silva Picks Up Tillotson’s Endorsement,” June 9) should make Democrats supporting Linda Moulton Patterson in her “nonpartisan” race for (Orange County) supervisor face reality. Get mad and get even!

“There is no such thing as a nonpartisan race in Orange County,” said Supervisor William G. Steiner. County Supervisor Roger Stanton warned local business people that Moulton Patterson, by virtue of her Democratic Party affiliation, represented a serious threat to the board’s conservative style of governing.

When Jim Silva, the other candidate for county supervisor in our District 2, obviously welcomes Republican help, must Moulton Patterson shun evidence of political affiliation?

I say “No.” She should welcome the support of the 89,456 Democrats in District 2, go after the 941 Greens, the 1,988 Libertarians, the 4,514 American Independents, the 859 Peace and Freedom voters, the 310 miscellaneous and of course the 26,773 nonpartisan or “decline to state” voters--and yes, Republicans. Within those 249,953 Republican voters, there must be a lot who care more about issues than party affiliation. Republicans should recognize that the county, as an administrative unit of the state, will benefit by having at least one supervisor with Democratic credibility to make Orange County’s case with the state Legislature.

The county loses at least $45 million each year because the state’s allocation policy on health and welfare services was formulated years ago, when Orange County Republican leadership refused state and federal funds. Too late, the Republican leadership recognized there was unemployment, homelessness and poverty in wealthy Orange County.

Now, with the state’s fiscal crunch, the Republican supervisors have not been able to change the formula. Orange County continues not to receive appropriate allocation of funds as do other counties.

SALLY J. ALEXANDER

Huntington Beach

Sally J. Alexander is Candidate Support Chair for the Democratic Club of West Orange County and a former regional director for the California Democratic Party.