ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Reform, Not Destruction

State legislators will assemble for a special session in Sacramento next week to consider helping Orange County fight its way out of its bankruptcy-caused fiscal crisis. They know these are extraordinary times, but they must remember that the idea is to reform the county’s government, not destroy it.

A package of about two dozen bills will confront the legislators. The measures would allow the county to take some actions it otherwise could not, or carry them out more quickly.

One proposal would have the state forward money due the county for a variety of programs without waiting for the county to submit bills. That would keep money flowing into county coffers.

Another proposal would let the county contract out for any service. Unions have traditionally opposed that. If the legislation passes, Orange County officials must not assume that it carries a mandate to throw out workers and replace them with employees from the private sector. Privatization may be feasible for some jobs, but the county has built a solid infrastructure to do jobs ranging from inoculating infants to inspecting restaurants. Government does have a job to do. Those who think privatization is a cure-all should consider all the costs the county is rolling up by paying for outside advice during the bankruptcy.

Another proposal would let the county reduce or eliminate general relief, which goes to 3,500 to 4,000 recipients, mostly single men. As it is, welfare under that program pays only $299 a month, and the county’s annual budget for the program had been reduced from $11.4 million two years ago to $8.4 million before the bankruptcy.

One of government’s jobs is to provide a safety net, and scrapping this program could cause problems that might wind up costing the county more than it saves. Orange County needs to cut its pre-bankruptcy $3.6-billion budget, but it needs to do it by making everyone share the pain.