Two Supervisors vs. County CEO

* It is totally understandable why Supervisors Thomas W. Wilson and Todd Spitzer are upset with county CEO Jan Mittermeier over her refusal to provide them with information concerning the El Toro Airport planning process (“Two Supervisors Challenge CEO on El Toro Push,” Nov. 15.).

Whether you support an airport or not, it is imperative that all the board members be fully informed as to the county’s involvement in the airport issue. All supervisors need to be able to address the concerns of their constituents--or at least appear to be aware of what is going on.

Because Supervisors Jim Silva, William G. Steiner and Charles V. Smith represent districts in which opposition to the airport is minimal (as long as it’s “not in their backyard”), they have no real need to be fully informed on the airport issues--at least not yet. It isn’t their constituents who are asking the tough questions or who are concerned about the direct impacts of an airport on their neighborhoods.

It is unfair to place any supervisor in the embarrassing position of being uninformed as to the county’s involvement in the El Toro airport planning process. After all, wasn’t it “not being informed” about county financing that enabled Bob Citron to pull off the biggest bankruptcy in history?

I am in full support of strengthening the position of a county CEO, but this does not mean that the board should be kept out of the loop. For Pete’s sake, all they’re asking for is information. Seems to me that the CEO could and should be able to comply graciously with this request.

SHIRLEY L. GRINDLE

Orange

* Please permit me to join what I would expect to be a chorus of indignation, especially arising from those in south Orange County, regarding CEO Mittermeier’s abject denial of information requested by Supervisor Wilson.

Only in county government, apparently, could such a blatant denial and lack of communication exist, certainly not in the real business world.

However, it was significant to me to see the arrogance leveled on the supervisor as I, too, have been trying to obtain some relatively straightforward information from Mittermeier since May 26. It was in regard to her announcement on May 17 of a $10.3-million savings from her reorganization. I simply asked for an accounting of the actual payroll dollars that would substantiate those savings as a practical basis of understanding. Since then, to date, after an extended series of letters and telephone contacts, I have yet to receive a definitive reply. All of this leads me to suspect that the “savings” were solely paper generated.

Mittermeier’s recent change to a “flat organization” structure strongly indicates that her costs will rise due to the inevitable duplication of effort, the loss of synergism and flexibility as typified in the case of her decentralization of the procurement organization. Further, with a flat organization, the ratio of supervision to workers will surely lead to excessive overhead costs resulting from top-heavy management.

The Board of Supervisors would be well advised to take time for some careful introspection and a long look at the picture that the county government portrays to its constituents from situations like these.

MARV GONSIOR

Fullerton

* Well, here we have it again. The three intransigent elected supervisors representing Newport Beach and north Orange County plus our arrogant, insensitive and hostile CEO frustrating the efforts of two elected supervisors trying to represent south Orange County. In normal industry, the attitude and prejudice of the CEO would be grounds for immediate dismissal.

With the rapid growth of population and new cities in south Orange County, it is reasonable to expect in the foreseeable future a groundswell of indignation to surface with new fresh leaders taking steps to secede from the north sector and form a new South Orange County with our own governing body.

JOHN “DICK” OSTERLIND

Laguna Hills

* It is Supervisors Wilson and Spitzer who need discipline, not the county’s CEO. They are deliberately using their positions to undermine the El Toro airport process. Their actions are contributing to unnecessary delays, causing taxpayers a great deal of money, and creating dissension with the other three supervisors, who are attempting to follow the directions mandated by a 4-1 vote almost a year ago. Wilson and Spitzer’s actions are in direct opposition to what the majority of Orange County residents have requested through the countywide elections which favored the new airport.

These two supervisors justify their actions claiming they are representing South County citizens opposed to the airport. I say they are putting their own political careers over the best interests of the majority of citizens and ultimate well-being of the county.

ANGELA GALLAGHER

Costa Mesa