Orange County

Economic Insights:

For years, Orange County residents told pollsters they were concerned mainly about transportation, crime and the economy, in that order. But after the county filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 6, 1994 , the economy became residents’ most pressing concern, according to a 1995 survey. On Wednesday, nearly 13 months into the bankruptcy, local leaders and economists will present an economic update for Orange County and the city of Irvine at a gathering sponsored by the Irvine Chamber of Commerce. The speakers will include Mark Baldassare, a UC Irvine professor who each year surveys 1,000 residents to track local economic, political and social concerns; Irvine City Manager Paul Brady Jr.; Richard Sim, executive vice president of Irvine Co.; and economist Walter Hahn, director of real estate consulting for E&Y; Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group in Newport Beach. The meeting will be held from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the Radisson Plaza Hotel, 18800 MacArthur Blvd., Irvine. The cost is $30 for Chamber of Commerce members and $40 for others. For more information or reservations, call Peggy Moore at (714) 660-9112, Ext. 26.