Open Government

By Sandra Lee "Sandy" Genis

Making County government accountable to the people

SANDY GENIS FOR SUPERVISOR

For decades, Orange County government has operated as an old boys' club. The bankruptcy should have provoked reform. However, even more authority has been given to bureaucrats and consultants acting behind closed doors. Special interests have a greater strangle-hold on our county than ever.

Ordinary citizens have been forced to go to court to obtain public information. When information can be obtained, lengthy reports on critical matters are often made available to the public only a few short hours before Board meetings, effectively eliminating meaningful public review and input. This occurred with the comprehensive restructuring of County government.

The Board majority refuses to be regularly televised and insists on meeting midweek in the morning, forcing people to take off work to attend.

The Board must be made accountable. Public information must be readily available to the public. Supervisors must work for the people, not just "good-old-boy" power brokers.

Sandy Genis believes in government of the people, by the people and for the people. She:

• Achieved stricter conflict of interest laws in Costa Mesa, preventing elected officials from voting on matters affecting relatives or big campaign contributors.

• Increased access to public information and expanded the scope of public noticing for matters affecting neighborhood residents.

• Spoke out against a move by the Board of Supervisors to transfer final tract map approvals to administrators rather than elected officials meeting in public.

• Stood up for the little guy, when threatened by big money interests, as the only Costa Mesa Council Member to vote against condemning small businessmen's property to benefit a large, tax-subsidized developer.

On the Board of Supervisors, Sandy will:

• Vote to change Board meetings to the evening, when working people can attend.

• Vote to televise Board meetings.

• Require staff to interpret the Public Records Act as expansively as possible, making information more readily available to the public.

• Fight to expand County conflict of interest laws.

• Bring decision making into the open, to be conducted by elected officials in public hearings, not by back-room bureaucrats and consultants.