Supervisor hopefuls talk jobs, pensions

The six candidates vying to represent the 4th District on the Orange County Board of Supervisors squared off in a forum this week addressing a broad range of topics of local and countywide interest.

Sponsored by the O.C. Public Affairs Assn., the forum at the Pacific Club, in Newport Beach, was a polite affair with candidates agreeing on most issues. The race, which is officially nonpartisan, features three Republicans and three Democrats; all but one serve on city councils.

The June 8 primary election will choose a successor to Chris Norby, who vacated his seat after being elected to the California Assembly in January. The district includes Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia and much of Anaheim.

As the only candidate who is not an elected official, Placentia software consultant Richard Faher sought to distinguish himself in the crowded race. He colorfully compared Orange County politics to the pig races he watched as a child at the Orange County Fair.

“They line up the little pigs at the starting gate … just like a bunch of career politicians, special-interest groups, trial lawyers’ associations, lobbyists and public-sector union reps,” Faher said. “When the gate opens, they all try to run … to get the little treat at the end.”

The forum began with a discussion of the economy and what the Board of Supervisors can do to create jobs. Most agreed that over-regulation stifles job growth.

“It’s all about burdensome regulations at the state, county and city [affecting] all of us as small businesses,” said Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu, a small-business owner.

Lorri Galloway, an Anaheim councilwoman and nonprofit executive, said she supports the proposed high-speed rail project connecting Anaheim and Los Angeles, as well as other transportation improvements, because they will create jobs directly.

The candidates also were largely in agreement that county employee pensions — which face an unfunded liability of at least $3.1 billion — must be scaled back more to keep the county solvent.

“The programs with retirement should not have non-safety personnel retiring at the age of 55. It’s absurd,” said Fullerton Councilman and attorney Shawn Nelson. “They should also not be guaranteed by the tax payer. They should be defined contribution [similar to a 401K] and retirement at least after 60, if not 65.”

An issue of particular importance in the district is parks and open space. The candidates said the more urban district does not get its fair share of park money because it has fewer and smaller parks than beach cities and areas in South County.

“We have many neighborhoods that are densely populated and many neighborhoods that don’t have any parks, and children [suffer] because there is no open space,” Galloway said.

Buena Park Mayor Art Brown proposed bringing back a discretionary fund for the Board of Supervisors from which supervisors could distribute money for parks to North County cities.

“I think they should get that money back so the cities could compete for additional county money to improve the city parks,” he said. “Let the cities improve their parks instead of trying to do more county parks.”

There also was discussion of eminent domain, the practice of government forcing property owners to sell their land to the government for projects deemed to be in the public interest.

The issue has become a hot topic in the district recently because of concerns that eminent domain would have to be used to acquire land needed to build the proposed high-speed rail line.

The candidates all said they are reluctant to use eminent domain except for essential transportation projects such as widening a freeway, and only when negotiations with a property owner fail.

“It should absolutely be a last resort, and any discrepancy should go in the favor of the landowner,” Nelson said.

La Habra Councilwoman Rose Marie Espinoza, who runs a successful after-school tutoring program for low-income children, positioned herself as the candidate whose priority is to help poorer parts of the community.

“I have been the [representative] for the community that is oftentimes neglected,” she said. “I continue to advocate for those who don’t have a voice.”