What Now? : Voices

Here is a sampling of comments from readers who called the newspaper’s TimesLine number with their suggestions on how to deal with Orange County’s financial crisis:

It’s more than just a county issue, it’s now a national issue, because of the effects of the bond market and the stock market. All that Clinton has to do is to pressure the Fed to reduce long-term federal interest rates until the crisis is taken care of. And furthermore, that would benefit the rest of the country in the economic recovery.

DON MORIARTY

Mission Viejo

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This is not a time to affix blame. . . . It is a time for all participants to work together, not to dwell on mistakes but to move on. If we all do this, we shall surely and inevitably move past this financial crisis.

RICHARD DOWLING

Dana Point

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The current Orange County financial crisis should put an end of all talk of an expensive commercial airport at El Toro. Another boondoggle for greedy developers. Exactly the kind of project that has brought us to bankruptcy. Let’s halt the toll roads too and cover the shameful damage to our natural surroundings with trees, seeds and wildflowers.

VIVIAN HALL

Irvine

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I think we should call Donald Trump immediately to take over the treasurer’s job. He is the most creative guy in the country to bail out a sinking ship.

DON GELLER

Irvine

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If there should need to be cuts in spending in Orange County, priorities should definitely be put in place. The school system must be protected so that teacher salaries are protected; services must be protected: sanitation, fire, police and sheriffs. . . . The things that should be expended are wasteful programs such as the toll roads. When we’re talking about green regarding money, we should be talking about green regarding the quality of life in Orange County and those toll roads threaten that quality of life.

MARIAN PACK

Norco

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The cause for this debacle is the Federal Reserve raising the interest rates to supposedly fight inflation. To fight inflation, I’d like to propose instead of using interest rates that we index income tax rates quarterly--up or down--depending upon the economy. This would be more equitable by having all citizens fighting inflation, not just the people who are borrowing money and bond investors. Rather than the money going to the banks the money would now flow to U.S. Treasury to reduce the deficit.

GEORGE MOFFAT

La Habra

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The Orange County Board of Supervisors ought to resign en masse. I think they are totally irresponsible for having allowed this to happen without any oversight and letting a guy that has been there for (24) years do as he pleases without anybody checking him or doing anything that is prudent with our tax money.

ROGER MOHRHOFF

Newport Beach

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Have the meetings of the Board of Supervisors televised. I know that having City Council meetings televised in Huntington Beach has made a big difference in how much the average citizen knows about government.

JANICE DEIBERT

Huntington Beach

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I’m concerned that we’re allowing (former Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L.) Citron to resign and walk away from this problem when he should be the one forced to make it right. He probably is the only gentleman that understands what is going on, and should be in there trying to work it out with the county at this time. It is ridiculous that we allow him to resign and collect some fabulous pension after he’s made this mess.

PAT STONER

Laguna Beach