<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Congressman Cox Joins the Crowd of Politicians Voting No on Measure R

Add Rep. Christopher Cox’s name to the list of elected officials who are opposed to Measure R, the bankruptcy recovery initiative on the county ballot Tuesday.

Cox, a Republican from Newport Beach, said he agonized over the decision and recently spent three days with County Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy before voting by absentee ballot against the measure.

“I give Bill Popejoy enormous credit. He has done everything he can,” Cox said last week. “[But] the last news that influenced me was the story that the full-time county payroll had only declined 4.3% from the November, 1994, level. At some point, between December and July, I would have expected to see more.”

Cox said the damage to the county’s credit rating has already been done. “The purpose of Measure R, of course, is to borrow more money . . . and the county will have to pay a bankruptcy premium on new borrowing, Measure R or not,” he said.

He added that it is questionable to even consider borrowing more now, given the county’s condition.

“Whether or not $300 million in new debt is the right next step to take in the midst of a Chapter 9 bankruptcy is a dubious proposition,” Cox said.

*

Hot air: The United States Helium Reserve, once considered vital to national security when blimps and dirigibles were thought of as defensive war ships, may finally be going out of business. That’s right: The six-decade-old bureaucratic boondoggle, which has accumulated enough helium to meet the federal government’s needs for the next 100 years, may finally have run out of steam.

Congressman Cox, who has come close in previous years to getting the government out of the helium business held a news conference recently to say that this time, it’s for real. Why is he so sure?

Well, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas supports his bill, and President Clinton publicly cited the helium reserve as an example of wasteful spending in his last State of the Union Address. And frankly, Cox added, he no longer has to worry about a Democratic House leadership coming to the program’s rescue.

“I know that the House leadership supports it this time, because I’m in it,” said Cox, who chairs the House GOP Policy Committee.

*

More dough: Ever since Doris Allen took over as Speaker of the Assembly with the unanimous backing of Democratic members, nearly everything about the Cypress Republican causes the local GOP to fume.

One of the hot issues last week at the monthly meeting of the Orange County Republican Central Committee--the session where Allen was branded a traitor and was formally targeted for recall--was news of the 20% pay raise that accompanies Allen’s new job. Her pay jumped from $72,000 annually to $86,400 when she became Speaker June 5.

What’s more, when she is eligible for retirement next year, Allen’s lifelong pension will be based on the $86,400 salary--whether she is recalled or not.

Add this news to Allen’s recent moves to strip some local Republicans of their Assembly power and you understand the fervor of the recall drive, said Howard Klein, a central committee member from Irvine.

“These are the kinds of things that have gotten people upset,” Klein said. “Particularly, when you look at the totality of the things Allen has done. She has institutionally hurt the Republican Party.”

*

Dual role: The receptionists answer the phone with a pleasant “Congressman Rohrabacher’s campaign office,” but the building at 127 Main St. in Huntington Beach has also been the headquarters the past two weeks of the campaign to recall Allen. Rhonda Carmony, campaign manager for Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), is serving as volunteer coordinator of the recall. Despite Allen’s attempts last week to appease Republicans with new Assembly committee assignments, there is no letdown in the resolve to recall her, Carmony said. “Absolutely not. The voters are outraged,” she said.

*

Dornan protest: A dozen rubber-gloved activists raised their hands in protest last week at a House of Representatives subcommittee hearing following testimony from Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) on AIDS prevention training for federal workers.

The protesters--members of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Organization of Women and the AIDS Action Council--called the hearing a “spectacle” and labeled Dornan an anti-homosexual extremist.

“[The gloves symbolize] the need for more AIDS education and not less,” said Kim Gandy, NOW’s executive vice president.

Dornan said he supports AIDS prevention training for federal employees, but not in the manner apparently carried out by the Clinton Administration. Instead of training sessions where instructors describe homosexual sex and show slides of sex toys and condoms, workers should get pamphlets on how to avoid contact with the AIDS virus, he said.

“I have no problem discussing [AIDS] in public,” he said. “It’s the way it’s being done and the obvious pro-homosexual agenda.”

Earlier this month, the House passed Dornan-sponsored legislation as part of the Defense Authorization Act that gives honorable discharges for members of the military infected with the AIDS virus.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday: Supervisor Jim Silva will be the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Seal Beach Republican Women Federated at 10:30 a.m. at Papillon’s Restaurant. For more information, call Barbara Blackman at (714) 431-7415.

Wednesday: A fund-raiser for GOP presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Cannons Restaurant in Dana Point. For more information, call Diana Banister at (714) 498-5630.

Thursday: The Orange County Young Republicans will hold their June mixer at 6:30 p.m. at John Dominis Restaurant in Newport Beach. For more information, call (714) 754-5955.

Compiled by Times staff writer Len Hall, with contributions from staff writer Gebe Martinez and Peter Roberson of States News Service.

Politics ’95 appears every Sunday.