<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : El Toro Airport Backers Sure Not Using Air Mail for Campaign Disclosure

Dollar politics: Want to know how much the proponents of an airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station have spent on their campaign? Or better yet, how far they have gone into debt?

You won’t be able to find out until Tuesday. Campaign treasurer Dana Reed said backers of Measure A on the Nov. 8 ballot purposely mailed their latest campaign finance report at 5 p.m. last Wednesday--the filing deadline--hoping that it wouldn’t arrive at the registrar of voters’ office until Tuesday. (County offices have a four-day weekend.) “We would rather not have stories about the money,” Reed said, adding that he would prefer to read reports about the issue.

Opponents of Measure A, meanwhile, continued to rely heavily on South County retirees to finance their campaign.

Measure A asks voters to amend the county’s General Plan to designate El Toro for civil aviation and other related purposes.

More dizzy dollars: Other highlights from campaign finance reports that did arrive:

* More than half of the $183,796 raised by the Orange County GOP between July 1 and Sept. 30 came from Texas: $83,000 from Houston businessman Roy M. Huffington, the father of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Huffington; and $25,000 from Contran Corp., which is controlled by Dallas financier Harold C. Simmons. The Lincoln Club of Orange County also gave $50,000.

* Jim Morrissey, the Republican candidate in the 69th Assembly District race, listed among his largest donors: the conservative Allied Business PAC, which gave $50,000; the Lincoln Club, which contributed $40,000; and the business owned by state Sen. Rob Hurtt (R-Garden Grove), which contributed a phone bank operation valued at $27,500.

* Morrissey’s Democratic opponent, Mike Metzler, isn’t too far behind in the fund-raising race. Major donors include: the Assn. of California School Administrators, which gave $5,000; and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which donated $2,500. Major contributors since the start of the campaign include former Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Howard Adler, who gave $16,562; and the California Teachers Assn., which donated a total of $12,500.

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Votes on Waste

Orange County’s congressmen don’t always agree on what’s wasteful spending. According to the nonpartisan Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, in 37 key votes from Sept. 1, 1993, to Aug. 21, 1994, the local delegation made several choices deemed by the organization to be against the interests of taxpayers. Still, two had ratings better than 80%, making them eligible for a “Taxpayers’ Hero” award. How they rated:

Ed Royce (R-Fullerton): 86.1%

Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach): 83.8%

Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach): 75.0%

Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove): 74.3%

Jay C. Kim (R-Diamond Bar): 70.3%

Ron Packard (R-Oceanside): 62.2.%

Source: Council for Citizens Against Government Waste

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Tails from the trail: It was bound to happen sooner or later, and it did--to Westminster Municipal Judge Daniel C. Dutcher. While out campaigning, he knocked on the door of a Huntington Beach home and a dog--an American terrier--bolted through the screen door’s metal grille. Dutcher was knocked down and bitten on the leg. It was a bloody sight.

“The folks were so contrite about the whole thing that they swore they were going to vote for me,” Dutcher said. “I don’t know if I have enough blood to get elected that way.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday: Last day to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election.

Tuesday: A $150-per-person fund-raiser for Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, 17900 Jamboree Road, beginning at 6 p.m.

Wednesday: “Women for (Jim) Silva,” in the 2nd Supervisorial District race, hosts a reception at the Waterfront Hilton, Huntington Beach, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $25.

Thursday: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Huffington is the featured speaker at the Orange County Forum at noon, Le Meridien Hotel, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. Tickets are $35 at the door.

Friday: The Orange County Chamber of Commerce sponsors a candidates forum featuring state Sen. Rob Hurtt (R-Garden Grove) and his Democratic challenger, Donna Chessen, as well as the rivals in the 69th Assembly District, Democrat Mike Metzler and Republican Jim Morrissey. The forum will be at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, beginning at 8 a.m.

Who Has the Bucks

Campaign finances in key races, as of Sept. 30. Debt may include loans and other expenses not yet repaid:

County Supervisor

Outstanding Raised Spent debt Linda Moulton Patterson $174,641 $221,717 $10,000 Jim Silva 194,677 200,235 31,527

Measure A (Proposed El Toro airport)

Outstanding Raised Spent debt Proponents 152,679 135,777 16,075 Opponents NA NA NA

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69th Assembly District

Outstanding Raised Spent debt Mike Metzler, Democrat 248,847 151,455 10,000 Jim Morrissey, Republican 307,377 248,845 69,944 George Reis, Libertarian 13,089 3,637 0

Source: Campaign finance reports

Compiled by Times political writer Gebe Martinez.

Politics ’94 appears every Sunday.