Stabilize First, Restructure Later

The points in your June 30 editorial on the proposed Orange County governmental reorganization were very insightful and well-taken.

Restructuring Orange County at this time, when stability is what is needed, will only initiate more chaos and turmoil. The county is just beginning to recover from the bankruptcy.

The proposed reorganization of Orange County government is currently being forced upon the people from the top down by the county supervisors. There is no “grass-roots” effort by the people to reorganize county government. In fact, the people only recently voted against a county charter.

What the county supervisors and administration need to recognize and understand is what they were elected to do, administer the functions of the County of Orange in an efficient and responsive manner, not hand those duties and responsibilities over to someone else or eliminate those who are carrying out this mandate and keeping the ship afloat.

Any restructuring or cuts in services should only be done gradually and through a lengthy study and well thought-out program of who will be handling those services. That means if you cut something here; someone else will be handling it over there. There would be no financial gain, just a shuffling of tasks and responsibilities in such a move. In fact, it could be pretty costly in money, time and services.

JOYCE GARNER

Laguna Beach

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* At a rare Thursday special session, called with scant public notice, the Board of Supervisors on June 20 voted to approve a massive county government restructuring plan submitted by Jan Mittermeier, chief executive officer. The vote was 4 to 1 in favor, with Supervisor Marian Bergeson, to her everlasting credit, dissenting.

If anyone thinks that things have changed at the Hall of Administration since the bankruptcy, guess again.

This new plan is in many ways a mirror image of the recently proposed county charter, in that both provide for an all powerful CEO, limited accountability for the supervisors, and an appointed chief financial officer, to name a few similarities.

Even more disturbing was that the CEO, after her presentation, could not cite any figures as to how much her plan would cost even though more departments will be added and five new assistant CEO positions created!

There was one consoling note; the board finally formalized their long-standing, sub rosa relationship with special interests by naming the Orange County Business Council as a key player in the restructuring process. Up until now they have exerted their influence behind closed doors. Coincidentally, these are the same fellows who with their developer cronies were the most ardent supporters and prime movers for Measure R, the sales tax increase, and Measure T, the charter proposal. Old age may be creeping up on me, but didn’t the voters reject both measures by a whopping margin? No wonder the board wants to keep the public out of the decision making process.

THOMAS C. ROGERS

San Juan Capistrano