Who Do the Supervisors Represent?

I spent the evening of Jan. 31 viewing the session of the (Orange County) Board of Supervisors. What came through loud and clear was that the supervisors do not represent Orange County but only represent a small portion of the county known as “the constituents of their district.”

I believe this to be totally unreasonable and prejudiced against the residents of Orange County and would recommend that one of the following actions take place:

* The Board of Supervisors be elected on an at-large basis by all the residents of Orange County, thereby eliminating districts and enabling the board to do what is best for the county as opposed to what is best for the members of their district, or

* Add an additional district in South County in order for there to be equal representation between North County and South County. If this creates a stalemate, so be it. It probably only means that what was proposed was not in the best interests of Orange County rather than a district. Furthermore, it might eliminate the secession movement now being proposed by many South County residents.

MATT MAGIDSON

Laguna Hills

* Having read Judy Rosener’s column (Jan. 23) and Jim Beam’s letter last Sunday (Jan. 29) I believe that we must have more debate about charter versus general law for our county government.

However, I have to agree with Beam’s statement that the “district prerogative” has to go.

Many people from Huntington Beach have been rebuffed over the last two years by various supervisors and their aides when they attempted to discuss the Bolsa Chica issue with them. One way or another, visitors were told to “see Harriett Wieder.” And of course Harriett Wieder would not see them because she had her own program for Huntington Beach.

It is also interesting to note that votes on the Board of Supervisors seem to come in blocs. That is, a perusal of the votes in the first quarter of 1994 shows only one instance in which a supervisor voted independently. And that one instance was simply on whether to continue a discussion to another time--not a substantive issue! When do the supervisors debate issues? I wonder.

As a result of these procedures, the citizens of Huntington Beach received a double whammy last December, a county bankruptcy and Koll in their stocking for Christmas.

NANCY DONAVAN

Huntington Beach

* I want to express my support for an Orange County government CEO. County government needs clearer lines of authority and responsibility.

I propose that the Orange County government CEO position be an elected position in 1996, reporting to the public. The term of office would be four years and be limited to two terms of office.

The supervisor positions would be eliminated on Dec. 31, 1996, saving taxpayers millions of dollars without the cost of recall. Do we really need five supervisors? Can we afford the government of the past? Let’s focus on a 21st-Century government!

GARY KINGSBURY

Irvine