Privatization Again on Back Burner

Regarding the Joint Powers Agreement story (“Reorganizing of County Paramedic Service Being Urged,” Jan. 31): Doesn’t The Times, and county taxpayers for that matter, find it at all troubling that the Board of Supervisors is eager to create another huge government bureaucracy while shelving consideration of ways to save tax dollars?

Specifically, Supervisors Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez is quoted as saying that privatization of county paramedic services is “unlikely” to be considered at least until the new Joint Powers Authority governing fire and paramedics services in the county is activated.

Given the county’s dubious financial oversight record, why should we as tax-paying citizens support the birth of another money-eating government agency such as the Joint Powers Authority, particularly if there are viable ways to pay for paramedic services without tax dollars?

Before the supervisors put their final stamp of approval on the Joint Powers Authority, they should seek the input of the taxpayers. They just might find we’d rather pay for such things as paramedic service if and when we use it instead of through taxes the county pledged it wouldn’t raise.

CARLOS H. CUEVA, Santa Ana

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Let me get this straight. In your story on the privatization of paramedic services in Orange County, Supervisor Vasquez says private paramedic service won’t be looked at until a new government agency is formed to oversee these services.

Excuse me, but does anybody think that a panel of 18 city government representatives and two county officials is going to bless, let alone study, the privatization of a service fed by taxes? Of course not! That would mean less money for them to spend! It sounds as if the Board of Supervisors is trying to kill the concept of privatization by putting the decision-making authority in the hands of another level of bureaucracy, that would never approve it.

Just once it would be nice if the Orange County Board of Supervisors would cut us a break instead of creating new ways to maintain or possibly even increase the current tax burden.

C.G. LAMBERTON, Santa Ana