Some Final Thoughts Before the Vote on Measure R

* Let me see if I understand this correctly: [Schools Supt. John] Dean, who has borrowed money on behalf of the Orange County Department of Education to invest in the Orange County Pool and lost a percentage of that money, now wants me as a taxpayer to tax myself additionally to make up for his poor fiscal management?

I can certainly afford another $52 a year in taxes. But it is the principle of taxing us again to make up for [Dean’s] mistake that rankles me the most.

Most important, however, I am opposed to Measure R because it will quickly allow us to continue “business as usual” in Orange County. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvent government and model for other counties what could be done. We would be foolish not to exercise this opportunity.

EMMY DAY

Mission Viejo

* The debate over yes or no on Measure R is not over higher taxes. Either vote will result in higher taxes.

In short, Measure R is by far the lesser of two evils. If it passes, we will have one short-term, specific tax. When the debt is paid, it’s gone.

If it fails, our taxes will go up, our property values will go down, our infrastructure will decay, established business will flee, and new industry won’t even look at us. It will be a long-term hurt.

JOHN ROSSMAN

Tustin

* Re: Response to editorial “When the Going Gets Tough, Citizens Must Prove Wise” (June 19):

“Fueled by rage, egged on by ideologues. . . .”? As an Orange County resident and taxpayer, I can only hope that voters aren’t misled once again by the Times’ editorial staff. Their unfailingly blind faith in the bureaucracy led Orange County voters down the wrong path last year when John M.W. Moorlach’s warnings were summarily dismissed by The Times. These same editors played a large part in discrediting Mr. Moorlach, while their stubborn ideology paved the way for Robert Citron’s reelection.

The Times’ editorial stated that “if Orange County rejects the tax . . . it will be choosing the option of chaos.” This is nonsense. Just over a year ago, the Times strongly suggested the “safe path” and warned that rocking the boat would lead to jitters on Wall Street. Recent history has shown that heeding the Times’ advice, which translates into conventional wisdom and business as usual, is most assuredly the riskier path. Voters will reject Measure R in order to break the vicious cycle of throwing new money at government in an effort to solve budgetary shortfalls.

Progress cannot occur without change. Positive change will not occur if Measure R passes. The real question is: Can taxpayers once again afford to follow the advice of the Los Angeles Times’ editorial staff?

BRUCE WHITAKER

Chief spokesman

Committees of Correspondence

Fullerton

* Perhaps I’m missing something, but it strikes me that we who reside in Orange County have a financial and moral obligation to pay our debt to those who have invested in us. The fact that Robert Citron and his Wall Street buddies, or that our county supervisors were out to lunch, is no excuse for not doing the right thing. And since we haven’t yet come up with an adequate alternative to a tax increase, then we should support [Measure R] and take our lumps.

However, Tom Rogers and others opposed to Measure R are justifiably concerned that passage of R would perpetuate the county’s losing ways and its serving of developers rather than the public interest. Voters should indeed take charge of their destiny, but not by reneging on our debt. We can regain control of our government if we clean out those responsible, and reorganize it so as to ensure adequate oversight and accountability.

PHILLIP CUTLER

Costa Mesa

* This is a plea to all citizens of Orange County who pride themselves on having honor and integrity. Your county has been ill served by its representatives. I am disgusted with them just as you are. But this does not give me or you the right or reason to hide behind bankruptcy when we have the ability to pay what we owe.

This is also a good time to consider how to reform and modernize Orange County government. Please stop listening to the charlatans who are urging you to vote no on Measure R even though they have no effective alternative.

We owe the money. Let us pride ourselves in our honor and integrity that we have in our usual business dealings and approach this problem in the same way. Vote yes on Measure R.

WILLIAM. S. MORTIMER

Laguna Beach

* Hugh Hewitt has it wrong. Yes, the electorate are angry, but not so angry that they will cut off their nose to spite their face.

We are in this mess not because some agency such as the Orange County Transportation Authority or the Sanitary District was evil, but because we relied too much on one man, and the guys we thought would watch over him. We deliberately made the office of the treasurer-tax collector independent, but assumed the supervisors would be responsible for him. We were wrong. So, bitter as the pill is to swallow, it’s our fault.

So, how do we get out of the mess? We grit our teeth, tax ourselves for a while till we pay our debts, clean up our [government] so this does not happen again, and get on with our lives.

ROBERT L. PORTER

Anaheim

* I agree with your rational and cogent editorials supporting Measure R, but what you write will not touch the voters. This is the day of “I’m not responsible for anything that goes wrong, I’m just a victim.” Do you expect the average voter to support paying for a financial debacle they believe to be caused by someone else?

I have spoken to a number of Orange County voters who see themselves as the victims of Robert Citron and the supervisors, and they are not going to vote Yes on Measure R. These voters, and it appears from the polls, the majority of eligible Orange County voters, generally see no connection between his or her vote and the present financial crisis. But as I thought about it, these voters are not the victims of bad government. They are the perpetrators and masterminds of the crime.

As past voter turnout indicates, the average Orange County citizen sees voting not as a an honor and a duty, but as a chore to be avoided. That attitude is why we get treasurer-tax collectors who take chances on making a fast buck and lazy supervisors who don’t supervise or act as guardians of the public trust. That laziness and lack of concern is the underlying reason why the sales tax increase is necessary. It is time for the voters in Orange County to pay the price of that laziness and lack of concern for who governs in our name.

Vote Yes on Measure R. Perhaps if it hurts us in our wallets, with which we are forever preoccupied, it might cause us to take a hard look at the next candidates and get out and vote for people who will truly represent our common interests.

MICHAEL HERMAN

Corona del Mar

* Last year, it was the Los Angeles Times that urged us to reelect Robert L. Citron as the treasurer of Orange County.

This year it is the Los Angeles Times that urges us to vote Yes on Measure R.

The Los Angeles Times has never met a liberal Democrat politician or a tax it didn’t like.

Orange County’s bankrupt government will never get the reform it so desperately needs unless Measure R fails.

The people of Orange County demand and deserve reform in our county government. A No vote on Measure R on Tuesday is the right vote for those who really want to see a downsizing of government and true reform.

The special interests of big government and big business have put democracy at risk in the heated debate over Measure R.

I urge Orange County neighbors to join the elected leadership of the Republican Party of Orange County who have voted unanimously to oppose Measure R.

THOMAS A. FUENTES

Chairman

Republican Party of Orange County

* What happens when the landfills are full?

Well, CEO William Popejoy apparently has gotten his way (“Considering Options to Tax Hike,” June 18), and is poised to start accepting imported trash at our “underutilized” landfills in order to make money!

The only valid reason I can think of for allowing other counties to dump their trash in our limited landfills is because we’re all moving anyway, and won’t need them.

Since that is not the case, and we’re all planning to live here for some time, how can Popejoy even think of selling off our landfill capacity? In 20 years, when we’re paying through the nose to haul our trash 150 miles out into the desert, that money will be only a dim memory, a ledger entry in the books of a bloated bureaucracy, the County of Orange.

No, if you need money, you sell something you’ll never need ; not something you’ll have to buy back some day, at 10 times what you sold yours for.

Any reasonable person would realize this kind of narrow, shortsighted thinking is what got us into the trouble we’re in right now! We need to slash spending, lay off at least 14,000 of the 18,000 county workers, and ease operations of most of those departments, regardless of how much it may hurt.

And of course, vote no on Measure R.

STEVEN C. WAECHTER

Fullerton

* Don’t you think Measure R has a greater possibility of passing if the voters are given assurances that the entire Board of Supervisors will resign?

SUSAN WEISS

Santa Ana

* Re: Supervisor Stanton’s No vote on Measure R/Plan B:

Supervisor Roger R. Stanton has again shown his complete lack of thought and concern for the recovery of Orange county. Plan B, a rehash of all the other plan Bs, is another attempt by Stanton to ignore the reality of the financial disaster we are all facing. The following questions need to be addressed:

(1) If the John Wayne Airport were sold, would the funds be available to Orange County or do the funds belong to the U.S. government?

(2) Who would buy John Wayne Airport knowing that the county will compete with them with their new El Toro Airport debacle?

(3) What competent business person would be foolish enough to support short-term financial needs by liquidating long-term or capital assets?

GENE P. MORRIS

Professor, finance

Cal State Long Beach

* Did you vote for Robert Citron?

Did you vote for your district’s county supervisor?

Did you vote for their opponents, but do nothing to help those opponents become elected?

Did you not vote at all?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then go look in the mirror if you want to see who’s responsible for this county’s bankruptcy problems.

Each and every one of us shares in the responsibility for Orange County’s health. It’s time to stop the spreading moral rot of self-interest. Grit your teeth, hold your nose, gag, but vote Yes on Measure R.

JOAN McNERNEY

Santa Ana