Kudos for Activist Grindle

Thanks for the March 22 piece on political reform watchdog Shirley Grindle, “She Just Wants ‘a System That’s Incorruptible.’ ”

Grindle’s desire for an incorruptible system mirrors that of much of the public. Perhaps the major difference is that many wish while Grindle does.

Her decades-long effort [and] her strong belief in proper public process and political reform is, in fact, incorruptible and legendary. Grindle’s brilliance is matched only by her tenacity and her emphasis on honesty.

Grindle is tough, but she is fair, which is one of the reasons she has been so successful.

As for Grindle locking up her file boxes for good, I can only hope that when that day comes (and I pray that will not be soon), she will pass the baton to others capable of carrying on her tireless work. It will take a lot of folks to fill this remarkable woman’s shoes.

SHERRY LEE MEDDICK

Silverado

I have come to respect Shirley Grindle for her fairness and selfless dedication to keeping Orange County politics clean. She deserves all the recognition she gets for her hard work.

My only qualm about Grindle is that she treats Orange County politics as if it were a cesspool of corruption, when, in reality, we have one of the cleanest, least corrupt local government systems of any urban area in the country. Orange County elected officials are honest, hard-working and relatively unaffected by campaign contributions.

Shirley’s jaded view of local politics leads to overzealous rules such as the Orange County gift ban, which actually prevents business persons from offering a county official a cup of coffee. She tends to advocate major surgery to treat a minor cold.

Despite that qualm, she certainly deserves the respect and admiration of Orange County citizens who care about local government. As one of those lobbyists who differ with Grindle from time to time, I hope she remains active for many years to come.

RANDY SMITH

Yorba Linda

Congratulations to activist Shirley Grindle for being a role model for citizen watchdogs.

I’d like to nominate Grindle for a lifetime citizenship achievement award. Every town needs a citizen watchdog like Grindle. Our goal should be to replicate her efforts at every school board, city council and planning commission.

ROBERT DALE

La Habra