Activist Worthy of Praise
* Activist Shirley Grindle deserves praise for her continued heroic efforts at creating open and honest government (“Politics ‘96” column, May 5).
The citizens of Orange County are very lucky to have such a responsible citizen watchdog. For years Grindle has been an outspoken advocate of grass-roots democracy and proper checks and balances on government power. Grindle has the type of honest visionary leadership this pathetic county needs. She should be elected to the Board of Supervisors.
As long as the land rapists and slumlords are able to play the Ponzi schemes called local government, rational planning doesn’t stand a chance. From redevelopment kickbacks, conflicts of interests, public and private money laundering, land-use planning extortion and campaign violations, citizen control of local government has been a joke in California.
Grindle provides us hope! Her efforts need to be replicated a thousand times. Every town needs citizen watchdogs. The residue from bad government is the deteriorating social ecology we are witnessing around us. The answer is in early issue identification, budget audits, fair political practices, investigative reporting, citizen education and very active participation.
If we aren’t part of the solution, we are part of the problem. Register to vote, attend local government meetings, organize community action for rational land planning. The problems of illegal campaign financing, bad public administration and corporate welfare can only be solved by more democracy.
The best things about Orange County are patriots like Shirley Grindle.
ROBERT DALE
La Habra