The Right Person for the Job

The Orange County Board of Supervisors will be back at full strength as soon as Gaddi H. Vasquez is formally sworn in as the new supervisor for the 3rd District. He was appointed to the open seat last Thursday by Gov. George Deukmejian.

The other four board members can now get back to business with a full complement to tackle some pressing problems, such as the jail, traffic and the airport, with a new and energetic member familiar with the county and the board.

The governor not only has who he believes is the right person for the job, but with the appointment he ends the lobbying and politicking from more than a dozen applicants, and their backers, who for weeks have been campaigning for the post.

Vasquez will be making a triumphant return to the board floor where he labored three years ago as an executive assistant to former Supervisor Bruce Nestande, who resigned his post last January, creating the vacancy.

Vasquez, 32, was a good choice. By any yardstick, he was one of the top contenders for the appointment. He is bright and articulate. He knows the 3rd District and how county government works. He may not have all the answers, but then again, neither does anyone else on the board floor.

Vasquez brings two necessary things to the office. He understands the county’s problems. And he is a good communicator, which should keep him in close touch with residents and fellow board members.

Vasquez is also the first Latino in county history to serve as a supervisor. That’s noteworthy in a county with such a rich Latino heritage and growing minority population. Vasquez will come up for election in June, 1988. That gives him about 14 months to show district residents what he can do. For the county’s sake, we hope he succeeds.