ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Between a Jail and a Hard Place

Unlike his predecessor, Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez doesn’t revel in mix-it-up politics. Former Board Chairman Don R. Roth could be feisty--and sometimes got worked up over the wrong issues. But he also led the way in making decisions--such as imposing a jail booking fee on cities-- that were politically unpopular but necessary. Vasquez would do well to adopt a little of Roth’s doggedness in the coming year, one that promises tough decisions.

In his first address to the board as chairman, Vasquez referred to many of the problems facing the county and warned that there is little hope that the state will come to the rescue. He is right about that. Given the current recession, the state faces yet another budget crisis and is expected to continue its discouraging pattern of requiring counties to provide many health and welfare services without fully funding these programs. That will make it even more important for Orange County--which already has a reputation for being well-run--to examine carefully its own local service programs to see what more can be done to reduce costs.

Vasquez offered a way for the county to streamline: limiting the board’s regular meetings to one a week instead of two. That’s not a bad idea--the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, with its vastly larger empire to oversee, usually has one general meeting a week. But that solution probably won’t save as much staff time as Vasquez hopes. There also may be something to be gained from exploring public-private partnerships, as Vasquez pledges to do, and from fostering more cooperation both among the county, its cities and the county’s delegations in Sacramento.

But the far stickier problem of providing a new jail is what will most test Vasquez’s mettle. The county, which is under a federal court order to reduce overcrowding at its central jail, must move forward soon to build a new jail in Gypsum Canyon near the Anaheim Hills. That site was selected by the board on a 3-2 vote three years ago, and Vasquez was on the losing side.

Two problems must be overcome: One is winning voter approval for the money to purchase the site and build the jail. The other is the need for a fourth vote to condemn the land, which the current owner, the Irvine Co., doesn’t want to sell.

Vasquez could prove himself a real leader by providing that vote and by helping create the political will needed if a new jail ever is to become a reality.