Is Citron’s Sentence Just?

What greater statement can there be of the condition of our society than the sentence of one year in County Jail and a $100,000 fine of former Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron for the crime of gambling away $1.64 billion of taxpayer funds?

At the same time he draws an $86,000 retirement from the county. Meanwhile, from a Times editorial to Supervisor William G. Steiner there are statements about how poor old Bob Citron has paid a heavy price for his indiscretions with taxpayer funds.

This disregards the laying off of 500 county employees and heavy cuts in health and social services and other fallout. As a society, we have a very distorted sense of justice when we are able to justify a public official gambling away $1.64 billion all for the aggrandizement of his ego.

STEPHEN B. WHEELER

Newport Beach

* I am appalled that Citron has been designated the scapegoat for the actions of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The board members have been allowed to ignore any responsibility for their actions. They approved the loans that made the bankruptcy possible. They encouraged Citron to continue making money for the county with get-rich schemes. Aren’t the supervisors at least guilty of stupidity? Should they be allowed to keep their generous pensions and retirement benefits?

GENE MORRIS

Costa Mesa

* Another pillar has been removed from our already shaky judicial system. The sentencing of Citron has proven once again that it’s OK to violate the public trust. Citron knowingly and willingly violated laws, which were enacted to protect public funds. His remorse only surfaced after he was caught. It is amazing how he went from the picture of health prior to getting caught to a frail old incompetent man after the net fell.

To mete out a jail sentence, as was done in this case, does nothing to deter future “criminals.” What is the purpose of our judicial system? Does deterrence ring a bell to anyone? The case was made by the defense that Citron is old and his wife needs him to care for her.

I certainly sympathize with his situation, but what about all of the people who lost jobs and other economic impacts of his criminal actions. Have we brushed them aside as the unimportant “little people”? Who looks out for their loved ones who may require care and who makes the house payments now that they no longer have a job? Citron willingly chose his path to destruction; those left in his path did not.

WAYNE WARTENBERG

Mission Viejo

* It would be a travesty of justice and a further waste of taxpayers’ money to put Citron in jail for a year. What Citron did was not for his own personal gain; it’s obvious that his very foolish investments were only made in the interest of making more money for Orange County citizens. Certainly the derision and shame heaped on him, and the heavy fine levied against him, is punishment enough.

As for the coming case of Assemblyman Scott Baugh (R-Huntington Beach), if he is convicted of an election fraud felony, as is alleged by others, a year in the slammer would be appropriate. What Baugh is alleged to have done was obviously for his own personal gain. And committing election fraud strikes at the very foundation of our democratic society, something not to be taken lightly.

JAMES GALLAGHER

Huntington Beach

* I don’t excuse Citron for what he did. However, I question the importance of a year in jail. Will that in some way affect the damage he has caused? If the $100,000 fine does not punish him sufficiently, what will?

DON LEEPER

Buena Park