Weird and Weirder : New disclosures re-emphasize need for professionalism and oversight in O.C.

The portrait of former Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron that has emerged in recent weeks is increasingly bizarre. First came Citron’s own surprising assertion in legal papers that he suffered from dementia for four years before the county declared bankruptcy after the collapse of its investment pool. Now grand jury testimony has Citron’s chief aide telling county officials in the early days of the financial crisis that Citron had consulted a mail-order astrologer and a psychic for interest rate predictions.

As loopy as these revelations get, some context for understanding the Orange County financial mess is contained in the mosaic of grand jury transcripts. Citron’s lawyer recently told a court that his client was “in a state of decline,” but the grand jury testimony reveals a county government with an astonishing lack of attention to what was going on, whatever Citron’s personal condition might have been. It exercised no oversight and had insufficient financial expertise.

Key county officials failed to ask basic questions about hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer debt. The officials may have lacked fiscal knowledge but they proved their savvy in another area--old-school politics. Lobbyists testified they had to “pay to play” by making campaign contributions. Important public business was controlled by a small group of governmental insiders, they said.

The grand jury’s recommendations for better training and education for county officials should be followed. The Orange County experience is somewhat reminiscent of the Progressive era of American politics when reform and more professional management were seen as antidotes to machine politics. There are signs of a welcome shift: In March, voters will consider recommendations thoughtfully crafted by a county charter commission on government reform. Also, the treasurer’s office now reports to an oversight committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

Important decisions on how to handle investments are still to be made, but it is clear that what is required are more professional expertise and better oversight, not astrologers.