Outrage in Wake of Grand Jury Action
I understand from your news reports that two Orange County supervisors and the auditor-controller [face civil accusations]. I also understand that in the worst event, these individuals can be ousted from their positions. What amazes me is that there will be a trial to establish guilt or innocence, although I am not sure what guilt implies. What is even more amazing is that the defense of these individuals at the trial will be funded by the taxpayer. It was reported that their legal costs could be $1 million.
Your Dec. 22 editorial states that this is a justifiable expense. You surely have a peculiar sense of justice. Your justification is that public servants be protected from exposure from litigation in order to encourage “good” people to seek office.
First, this is not a case in which a suit is being made to obtain compensation for damages or a punitive award. This so-called trial is merely (presumably) to determine cause for dismissal of these individuals from their elected offices. Secondly, protecting public servants from litigation is more likely to encourage “bad” people to seek office. Eliminating culpability in one’s performance is an open invitation to incompetent and irresponsible officeholders. I am afraid that your logic is somewhat perverse.
If one performs in the negligent manner in the private sector as these county supervisors have done, there would be no “trial.” The most that they could expect would be a handshake as they exit.
Another news item: The bandits who call themselves attorneys, in their assessment of the bankruptcy costs, have set aside $50 million in legal costs for bringing suits against investment companies and others involved in this financial debacle. This is absolutely outrageous. With so many deprived of basic care and shelter in the county, spending taxpayer’s money on these leeches is criminal. We have already spent $24 million. Enough is enough.
NORMAN F. BATES
Dana Point
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The vote of three supervisors, two elected and one appointed, to require county funds be used to pay legal expenses of the other two supervisors and the auditor-controller is yet another indication that nothing has changed in Orange County governance. The “old boys network” is still functioning, and the taxpayers are still being abused.
It is surprising that after all the outcry and a clear rejection by a vote of the electorate, those in charge have not yet gotten the message: Citizens have no confidence in those controlling county affairs. Not only are those who were in charge at the time of the bankruptcy responsible; all those who have been drawn from the same pool of insiders share responsibility. Nothing less than a wall-to-wall housecleaning of every elected and appointed county official will suffice. A completely new source of competent people must be brought in to restore the credibility of county government in the eyes of those paying the bills.
It has been obvious from the start of the bankruptcy fiasco that the major effort being made was to protect turf and cover up the total failure of officials to competently perform their jobs. To date, the insiders are still in charge and the citizens outside are the ones who will suffer from their malfeasance.
I continue to pay confiscatory property taxes on a property that has dropped in value by one-third. Only distress sales and repossessions in my tract are selling at any price--and those at as little as half their former value. I see my sales taxes being poured into the same bottomless pit for less and less county services and those at the bottom being cut off entirely.
The term “Orange County” has become a joke throughout the nation, and rightly so. Wherever or whenever did such a wealthy government entity disgrace itself so publicly and then unashamedly continue the same old kind of insider behavior? When every last incumbent is gone and the lights turned off in Santa Ana, a new caretaker can be installed to clean up the mess with some modicum of public confidence, and not before.
JOSEPH L. McCLEARY
Dana Point