RECIPE FOR SUCCESS:

A Google search on “sheriff scandals” turned up 988,000 sites.

Orange County isn’t the only place where top cops and corruption are making news these days. The man Larry King called “America’s Sheriff” during the Samantha Runion case, Sheriff Mike Carona, is in deep trouble. The allegations in the indictment are fascinating and titillating and go back to 1999.

Why did the federal government take so long to put together a case? Were there no signs along the way?

Christine Hanley and Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times staff writers, wrote about Carona (“A Sheriff’s Rising Star Is Dimmed by Scandal,” Jan. 21, 2006). The opening line, “Two of his former aides are facing criminal prosecution. Federal agents have subpoenaed his financial and administrative records. State investigators are examining his conduct with women.

“And he’s the sheriff ”

Why wasn’t the Board of Supervisors asking questions then? Why did the Republican political machine push to get him re-elected? Many of those same supporters are now throwing him under the bus publicly and demanding his resignation. He’s their creation.

By nature, politics is a breeding ground for corruption. In order to get elected you need to raise money. The folks who give you money don’t do it out of the kindness of their heart; they do it for access once you are elected. Let’s call it “political consideration.” Apparently, how much consideration you bestow upon your supporters and friends determines whether you go to jail or not.

As a large contributor or fundraiser you can pretty much write your ticket to any political appointment you desire. It’s an unspoken understanding in politics. So no matter if you’re qualified or not, there’s an attitude of gratitude.

No one talks about it publicly, but we all know it exists. Just go to the website www.ocfair.com for the Orange County Fair. Nowhere will it tell you how you can become a Fair Board member because it’s a political appointment by the governor. Look at the current board Dale Dykema, Julie Vandermost, Gary Hayakawa, David Padilla, Kristina Dodge, Joyce Tucker, Mary Young, Dave Ellis, all high powered with lots of political clout. Even the sheriff’s wife, Deborah Carona, sits on the board

So is the practice of how we elect our sheriff the right recipe for success? I don’t think so. As voters, we should be selecting a sheriff after the Board of Supervisors conducts a nationwide search of qualified candidates. Instead, we’re choosing from a list of people who are just able to raise money to get elected. The Board of Supervisors should be looking in this direction to protect us in the future.

Joseph D. McNamara, former police chief of San Jose, said it best: “The sheriff doesn’t necessarily have to be a good manager and leader to keep his job. Instead, he has to be politically adept and a good fundraiser, skills that frequently conflict with running a professional police agency. The need to raise campaign funds may jeopardize the impartiality and professionalism that a law-enforcement executive is required to exhibit.”

BARBARA VENEZIA is the chairman of the Santa Ana Hts. Redevelopment Project Advisor Committee and was the co-creator of the cooking show “At Home on the Range” with John Crean.