Trashing Residents for County’s Errors

* It appears that the Orange County government has found a method of handling its bankruptcy in a manner that is approved by the state. It seems to be of little consequence that the method would be objected to by most of the county residents who will be stuck with the extra expense.

The county owes more money than it can pay, so part of the solution is to borrow more money. The federal government is still managing to operate with its debt approaching $5 trillion, so why shouldn’t the county increase our debt burden?

Even though the citizens don’t like the increasing public debt, they still approved Measure M to improve our streets. It now appears that the Orange County Transportation Authority will contribute some of our tax dollars to the county fiasco.

Many citizens are complaining about the way their bills for trash disposal have been rapidly growing. Prior to 1982, our property taxes paid for use of our landfill sites where our solid waste goes. In 1982, the county decided to dig deeper into our pockets, so it started charging $4.90 per ton for use of the landfill sites. They got away with that, so they kept increasing the charges until last July the charges went from $22.75 to $35 per ton. As a slap on our faces for complaining, it appears that the county will let people in San Diego use our landfill sites for about half of the amount we are being charged.

We were required to reduce our usage of the dump sites in order to prolong their lives, and the county proposes preferential treatment for people from other counties. I hope nobody suggests that our supervisors let other countries dump their trash here.

The county has a couple hundred employees being paid over $100,000 per year, but rather than reduce some of this pay or reduce the number of county employees, the county solution to their financial problems is to stick the taxpayers for the county’s mistakes and give the residents outside of Orange County favored treatment. How deep are your pockets?

BOB DINSEN

Garden Grove

* Over the past few months a question that has been asked many times is “What does Orange County really stand for?”

At this point in time it really doesn’t stand for very much, if anything. And perhaps the most troubling activity taking place is the attempt to take the “easiest” way out of the bankruptcy mess we find ourselves in. Taking funds from another agency to cover the nonfeasance of the Orange County Board of Supervisors may be legal, but certainly not appropriate or moral.

The ideologues pulling strings from behind the scenes of this one-party county corrupt local, nonpartisan elections with their irresponsible diatribes against anyone not adhering 100% to their narrow perspectives. When one looks at the level of incompetence, irrelevance and mean-spiritedness displayed by our state and federal legislators, we should fear the future.

Add to this the silly little men and women running around the county claiming to give the “citizens’ ” viewpoint on local government. Local politicians, especially a county supervisor, fall all over themselves kowtowing to these so-called “watchdogs” of legally elected officials. These folks are dangerous to orderly government because they spout half-truths, often backed up by little, if any, accurate information.

The one-issue recall elections occurring in this county are an irresponsible use of a valuable tool, and throw a chill over the entire process. But it is easier to recall an official over a presumed error than to not reelect that same official at the next election.

Yet, when you come down to it, we can only blame ourselves for electing such mediocre persons to public office, and accepting the charges of these ego-seeking non-officials. They don’t represent me.

Perhaps we should take an introspective look at ourselves and take the time to learn more about our local governments and how they function. Anything less can have terrible repercussions on the future of this beautiful county. I greatly fear for its future.

JACK GREEN

Huntington Beach

* Orange County can take a lesson from the [O.J.] Simpson fiasco, recognize the realities of criminal justice today, and help solve its financial woes at the same time. Let the county charge “dismissal fees” to wealthy persons wanting to get away with murder. Los Angeles County might not now have to consider cutting back on health services if the fees that O.J. paid to his “dream team” had gone directly to the county in return for a guarantee of no prosecution. Moreover, the county would have been spared the expenses of conducting the courtroom circus, California justice would look no more irrational than it does now, and Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman would be no less avenged. Only question is: Does Orange County have enough bloodthirsty millionaires?

PAUL C. EKLOF

Costa Mesa