Officials Are Ignoring the Voters’ Jail Verdict

On March 7, an overwhelming 67.3% of Orange County voters said “yes” on Measure F--the Safe & Healthy Communities Initiative. Measure F’s provisions can be summed up in one sentence: The county supervisors must first get two-thirds voter approval before they can spend taxpayer dollars building or expanding airports, toxic waste dumps, or large jails near residential neighborhoods.

While the controversy over El Toro airport inspired the initiative, much of the Measure F campaign actually focused on jails. There was good reason for this: Orange County voters believe that large jails should be located in remote areas of the county, not near residential neighborhoods. This is common sense land-use planning. And fortunately, according to county documents, there are more than 20 viable jail sites that are far removed from residential areas and would, therefore, meet the resident-friendly Measure F criterion for a major jail expansion.

But instead of honoring the will of the people on Measure F, the county has been engaged in an end run. Specifically, led by Sheriff Mike Carona, the county has been working to expand the 1,200-bed James A. Musick facility in Irvine into a huge 4,600-bed jail. This would make Musick the largest jail in California--even larger than L.A. County Jail and larger than San Quentin Prison.

Under the terms of Measure F, this kind of massive jail-expansion plan would normally require two-thirds countywide approval. But no voter approval is required when a majority of city council members in an affected city agree to accept the plan--as several have in Irvine.

Measure F is currently the law of the county--67.3% approved it countywide and a record-breaking 84.5% of Irvine voters said “yes” on F. Nevertheless, county politicians say to hell with the voters as they continue to push their dangerous Musick jail expansion scheme. As angry as I am at this, nothing that the county does surprises me anymore. But I must confess I’m astonished to find that the Times (“Misstep on Jail Expansion,” Orange County Perspective, Oct. 1) and my own council colleagues have taken up the county’s jail-building cause--in shameless disregard of the voters and residents.

LARRY AGRAN

Irvine City Councilman