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Today a mighty wind sweeps across our Orange County. It sweeps from the peaks of Saddleback Mountain to the beaches of San Clemente. It gusts down the canyons of Silverado and Modjeska, through vibrant streets of Santa Ana, across the bike trails of Irvine and billows the sails of Newport Harbor. Let this mighty Santa Ana wind sweep away our old divisions and bring with it, on this day, new perspectives to the critical issues we face. Let this wind aid our journey as we seek a brighter future for the three million people who call Orange County home. For many, Orange County is the end of a journey. Through our colorful history, I see Spanish padres traipsing the El Camino Real and Dust Bowl refugees on Route 66. I see people arriving from Michigan and Mexico, from Virginia and Vietnam, from Downey and Düsseldorf, seeking opportunity, education and a new life. I see a little girl from Visalia arriving at a new home in Fullerton in 1928-my mother. I see a soldier from Minnesota arriving at Santa Ana Army Air Base in 1943-my father. I see a man from Oil City, Pennsylvania arriving at Laguna Niguel to become mayor and county supervisor-my colleague, Tom Wilson. I see a Korean War vet from Ohio, arriving in Westminster to become mayor and county supervisor-my colleague, Chuck Smith. For others, Orange County is our native soil. We were born in its farm houses, in its tract homes, and in its colonias. We are Anaheim Colonists, La Habra Highlanders, Garden Grove Argonauts, Tustin Tillers and Brea Wildcats. We include my colleague, Jim Silva and myself, both born at Fullerton Community Hospital. We are those gone away to college or sent away to war, who always came back, because this is our home. For all of us, Orange County is home. It is home to our hopes, our dreams. It is where we seek fulfillment, happiness and meaning in our lives. Now, Personal happiness is something no government, county or otherwise, can assure you. In a free society, success or failure is largely the product of your own efforts. But, government must provide what people cannot provide for themselves. For this, the public has entrusted the Board of Supervisors with $4 billion of their tax dollars, 18,000 employees, and enormous powers to regulate their lives. Let four governing principles guide us: Take only the money we need, not all we can get. Spend tax dollars with the same care as if the money were our own. Honor people's right to use their property to the best of their creative abilities. And, judge laws not by their intention, but by their results. Among our immediate challenges are the proper reuse of El Toro, restoring accountability to the planning department, homeland security, guiding new development, modernizing our voting system and assuring the free election of a new supervisor from the Third District. Looming over all is a state budget deficit of $35 billion. Yet, this crisis is an opportunity to reform local government finance, to assure an equitable and stable balance of both property and sales taxes. We must no longer subsidize commercial development and penalize residential development. We must find fiscal and land use incentives that allow us to live close to where we work, and to work close to where we live. Working together, let us find agreement when possible. But, let us also respect alternative viewpoints. Let our inevitable differences illuminate our choices, focusing on the worth of ideas rather than personalities. For the three supervisors here before you, the tasks of the new term have just begun. Thank you all gathered here for your support and your faith. We were elected to lead you, but there may be times you must lead us. Orange County and its government belong to all of us. As your newest Supervisor, I ask for your help. And God's. |
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