Orange County In Bankruptcy : Reactions to Thursday’s Cuts

“These are not easy decisions and we know it. There is anguish. There is frustration. It will be years before the county completely recovers from this situation.”

MICHAEL R. CAPIZZI

District attorney and member of the management team that recommended reductions

“By golly, if someone can come in here and tell me how the public defender’s office is going to do $3.7 million more worth of work with the same resources, it will be the modern-day equivalent of the fishes and loaves miracle.”

JAMES L. SMITH

Presiding Orange County Superior Court judge

“I’m shocked and disappointed that the county would treat its employees so cavalierly.”

JOHN H. SAWYER

General manager of the Orange County Employees Assn.

“While the decision we make here today will have very real and, I’m afraid, negative consequences for some of our county family, all of the decisions have been weighed and all have been difficult, as most would understand.”

GADDI H. VASQUEZ

County supervisor

“I think they can look in other areas, postpone expenditures and capital improvements and look hard at all their contracts. Instead they are taking it out of the hides of county employees. We have been left in the dark. Our department managers don’t tell us anything.”

VICTOR FULLADOSA

An auditor-appraiser in the county assessor’s office