Bankruptcy Fuels Public Cynicism

All of us naive taxpayers were delighted to see the Securities and Exchange Commission come down so hard on the criminal activities of the Orange County supervisors. The SEC said that it would be unfair to impose a financial penalty on the already bankrupt county. Well, thanks for looking out for us! That goes along great with their failure to bring any criminal charges against former county Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron. (After all, isn’t it enough that Citizen Bob has already pleaded guilty to six felony counts?)

What a tremendous illustration of ethics, personal responsibility and morality this offers for our young children today. And it’s no wonder that Generation X-ers hold today’s political leaders in such high esteem. After all, this is Orange County, dubbed fraud capital of the country by U.S. attorneys. Whether it’s the savings and loan rip-off or the Orange County bankruptcy, these paragons of virtue, dressed up in the robes of government, are in reality criminals in three-piece suits, hiding behind an army of salivating lawyers. Ask the average citizen and treason would be the appropriate charge.

PATRICK MALLON

Lake Forest

* Nowhere in the annals of criminal law is the accused criminal allowed to bill his victim for the costs of his legal defense. Except for the Orange County supervisors, who have no compunction against dipping into the taxpayers’ funds in order to pay for the defense of public officials accused of defrauding the public! What an outrage.

Any public official can make a mistake in the conduct of public business and an innocent mistake should not bring legal disability. But premeditated, criminal actions do not deserve protection or a publicly financed legal defense.

If the Orange County supervisors don’t understand their moral obligations, we need to pass a new law!

JENNIFER MARKS

Irvine