Too Many Ballots in O.C.? Let’s Vote on It

Question: Is there such a condition as “hyperinteractivity”?

If so, Orange County voters have it. In fact, if local citizens get much more interactive, we might as well replace the Board of Supervisors with five mannequins.

The Orange County plebeians, increasingly impatient with the supervisors on key issues, apparently have decided to brandish what some have called the most powerful weapon ever devised: the vote.

It’s as if local citizens have said, “We’ve got the vote, and we’re not afraid to use it--at any time for any reason.”

In this interactive age, this discovery does not bode well for the ruling class. I fear for the supervisors, because in bygone days these things often ended badly for ruling types, with some of them missing key body parts--most notably, heads--when the shouting was over.

Today, the locals seem intent on wresting policy away from the lordly supervisors. Frankly, take away the supervisors’ power to set policy, and they might as well be headless.

Already this year, Orange County voters forced Measure F onto the ballot and passed it overwhelmingly. Rather than have the five supervisors decide whether the county would build a jail or an airport, the voters took matters into their own hands and made it impossible to ever build one until and unless they said so.

The supervisors, instead of having the only five votes that count in such matters, suddenly found themselves with only five votes amid tens of thousands. Policymakers became policy-followers.

Flush with that success, Orange County citizens now say they’ll do it again this November--with a measure that would tell the supervisors how to spend money from the national tobacco settlement.

Board Chairman Chuck Smith argues that this and future boards should decide how to spend windfall dollars, even those presumably targeted for specific things like health care.

A coalition of health care advocates hear what Smith has to say and reply, “Oh, yeah? Let’s get interactive.”

If the board doesn’t capitulate, the coalition says the ballot measure will specify that 80% of the tobacco money be spent on health care. Then, it’ll be up to voters to decide.

You see where this is heading.

In politics, biannual ballot measures are about as instant as you can get.

For now.

Nightly on TV, some talk show or news program asks viewers to log on with an opinion. The instant plebiscite, if you will.

Such is the local citizenry’s disenchantment with the supervisors on key issues that you figure we’re not far away from having instant plebiscites on all policy issues.

Should Orange County build a new shelter for abused children? Log on and tell the board.

Should the county increase the Sheriff Department’s budget by 3%, 5% or 8% or keep it the same? Log on and tell the board.

Should Joe Dokes be commended for his humanitarian efforts and be given a proclamation saying so? Not unless the public has logged on with its approval.

You can see how an elected board could easily become obsolete. Or, at least, accept a substantial pay cut.

Orange County voters have shown no shyness in playing this interactive game.

They need only a millennial battle cry.

How about, “Orange County plebeians, unite!”

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Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821 or by e-mail to dana.parsons@latimes.com.