Health Initiative Gains Steam

Health care activists said Monday they have enough signatures for a November ballot measure on how to spend Orange County’s tobacco settlement money, but they said supervisors have little time left to resolve a yearlong impasse over the issue.

In making the announcement, leaders of the health care coalition expressed frustration that county supervisors have not followed through on their decision last month to reopen talks over how the money is to be spent.

“We still haven’t heard from them about a meeting,” said Michele Revelle, spokeswoman for the group, Citizens Health Alliance to Reinvest the Tobacco Settlement.

Despite months of talks and jockeying, the two sides remain far apart on how to spend Orange County’s share of the national tobacco settlement, about $35 million over 25 years. Supervisors have proposed spending the vast majority of tobacco money on jail expansion and debt repayment, while the coalition would spend 80% of the funds on anti-smoking campaigns and health care.

The board, which voted March 28 to reopen talks, has been distracted in recent weeks by turmoil over plans for an international airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station as well as the on-again off-again firing of County Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier.

The supervisors said Monday they intend to meet with the coalition perhaps next week, and would contact the group today to set a date to renew their discussions, which stalled in February.

Even that consensus from the Hall of Administration, however, appeared fragile. The two supervisors designated to reopen talks--Todd Spitzer and Cynthia P. Coad--had differing views on the need for urgency.

“These are very serious and difficult negotiations,” Spitzer said. “We are committed to solving the problem. I am eager to get into a room with the coalition.”

Coad was not certain when talks might start.

“It should be in the next week or two,” she said. “We have to look at the whole [health care funding] picture and it is taking some time.”

Coalition members said Monday that they have set a tentative deadline of May 1 to end signature gathering and ready the petitions for counting by the Registrar of Voters. The coalition said it had gathered 10,000 more than the 71,000 needed to qualify as of Friday, and is still collecting signatures, with a goal of 105,000 to cover the possibility that some may be disqualified, Revelle said.

The negotiations need to begin at once to have any chance of success, according to a coalition letter sent last week to Board Chairman Chuck Smith. Coalition members also warned again Monday that once the initiative qualifies for the ballot, it will be too late to reverse course.

“To have a relevant negotiation we must get back to the table immediately,” said Sen. Joe Dunn (D-Santa Ana), a coalition leader. “We are in a critical phase. We are days away from negotiations becoming irrelevant. If and when those signatures are qualified, the initiative process, unless a court intervenes, is not stoppable.”

Supervisors oppose the initiative, saying the county has more important priorities as well as other ways to boost health spending. They also argue that budgeting by initiative is poor planning and would bind future boards when their needs are unknown.

Coad and Spitzer met late Monday with County Chief Financial Officer Gary Burton to be briefed on the financial issues involved in the talks and to check their calendars for possible meeting dates.

The coalition is using a paid signature collecting firm to circulate petitions as well as volunteers. In addition, the American Assn. of Retired Persons has sent initiative petitions to its 200,000 Orange County members. The total announced Monday includes only signatures collected by the firm.