Supervisors Must Show Leadership on Sales Tax--or Some Alternative

* Supervisor Jim Silva’s comment, “I do not support the tax, but I do support the taxpayers in having a right to express their opinion,” epitomizes the lack of leadership at the county level in these particularly crucial times.

Imagine a world where politicians lead and not follow! Imagine what we could accomplish!

THOMAS BARRY

Huntington Beach

* Citizens haven’t understood the problem. It is this: Elected officials ostensibly are responsible for formulating policy and passing local legislation necessary to operate their jurisdictions. In fact, their No. 1, constant priority is to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for their next election campaign. Enlisted in this relentless endeavor are their special assistants, personal staff and, to a great extent, subordinate county managers and employees. As with any able fund-raisers, they all look to who has the money.

Large landowners are only too willing to be their benefactors (and co-conspirators) in a tragedy of unending program growth (i.e., toll roads) to maximize the consumer population through land development with the consequence that county bureaucracy (payroll, benefits and capital projects) has swollen larger and larger, creating terrible pressure on all concerned to maximize cash flows.

The downside to this co-dependent relationship is that the “benefactors” gain a disproportionate influence over policy and the operations of our governments, thereby creating another cycle of growth and pressure. The recent bankruptcy is no more than what the largest landowners have driven the county to, and the landowners should bear any tax increase.

(County Chief Executive Officer William J.) Popejoy is merely a pawn in the manipulation of politics as usual by the landowners, who would like nothing better than to collect sales taxes into the General Fund where they would be available to continue yet another cycle. Therefore, I would require, as a minimum, a progressive property tax increase rather than a regressive sales tax. Put the burden squarely on the “benefactors,” where it belongs. This must be on the ballot with any other choices.

ROBERT REED

Orange

* Orange County could do itself a favor and start putting some teeth into the sales tax law by getting its fair share from the vendors at the swap meets.

STANLEY ESKIN

Laguna Hills

* It is said that sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. This is certainly true regarding the Orange County financial crisis, as the massive amount of money which is being sent to analyze and correct the situation is mind-boggling.

KENNETH L. ZIMMERMAN

Huntington Beach

* On the front page of The Times, March 31, Board Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez is quoted, “The expectations of the citizens of this county will have to change.”

If we expect to get a response from the police when we need them, if we expect our children to become effective members of the community, if we expect to maintain the level of life, we must have a tax.

However, if we had leaders of vision instead of pathetically limited politicians, we would have a one-time levy: nothing from those too poor to pay taxes, a few hundred dollars from those with incomes under $50,000 and thousands on up from those who are able to donate millions to selected charities or various “monuments” to perpetuate their names.

Since that is highly unlikely in these mean-spirited times, another dream is that the supervisors, if they have the power to do so, have the guts to levy a tax and take the heat. Among thinking people, they might gain some respect.

BEATRICE YOUNG

Huntington Beach

* Surely you jest! I am referring to the tax increase you think the voters of Orange County should approve.

When someone takes my money and speculates with it in the manner which was previously done you have got to be jesting if you expect me to vote in favor of giving this same group of politicians even more money.

Before voting for a tax increase the following must be done:

1. ALL those who were in a position to take part in, or oversee, in any way, the investment decisions made with my money must be removed from such responsibility and brought to justice. Yes, I mean all the county supervisors must go!

2. The investment policy must be formally changed and made public. The contents of the investment pool must be published in a readily available public financial publication.

3. The organizational structure for oversight of my money must be changed. It obviously does not, and did not, work. The new structure must provide for approval and oversight by persons totally and completely independent of Orange County government.

Yes, even a state-appointed guardian of my money looks good to me until at least all the above are completed. After completion of all the above I may be inclined to reconsider.

W.R. VAN LANINGHAM

Fountain Valley

* In a recent Times editorial you stated that the Orange County supervisors took the “first step” by asking the voters to vote on a sales tax increase. I will vote for the tax increase if the supervisors take the “second step” and resign.

WALTER J. HAUENSTEIN

Garden Grove

* The Orange County Fire/Arson Investigators Assn., a subcommittee of the Orange County Fire Chiefs’ Assn., is made up of law enforcement investigators from throughout Orange County. These firefighter and police investigators, trained to detect arson, work closely with an Orange County deputy district attorney specially trained to prosecute the crime of arson. Because of the uniqueness of the crime of arson, this special-assignment deputy district attorney handles the case from the arraignment phase through trial and sentencing.

Orange County has been quite successful in the battle against arson. The special assignments prosecutor is why Orange County has succeeded where others have not. A budget cut of this position would seriously impact the ability of these special investigators to battle the crime of arson. There is only one deputy district attorney that handles all of Orange County’s arson cases.

BILL DUMAS

Fire/arson investigator

Garden Grove Fire Department