Proposal for board of supervisor tribunals is a bad idea

This morning's Register contains an opinion piece I wrote on supervisor Moorlach's proposal which would give the board of supervisors the power to remove elected officials from office. Essentially, the proposal would allow any county wide elected official to be removed from office by a vote of 4 supervisors.

There is no need to repeat my arguments since you can read them yourself here, but I would like to emphasize a key point that space did not allow in this article. Our country was founded on the idea that our government belongs to the people, and that liberty depends on keeping government's insatiable thirst for power in check. The Republican Party stands for this same concept of limited government, and yet too often we see Republican politicians leading the charge for the government to jump in and solve a problem that the people can solve just fine by themselves. Every time the government is given more power to solve our problems, it also gets more power to run our lives.

We see this all the time when local city council members vote against property rights, or for tax increases. We see it at the federal level when President Bush institutes a massive increase in government spending for the Medicare drug program. And we are seeing it right now at the board of supervisors. Some people want an immediate solution that will take Sheriff Carona out of office, and the politicians are more than happy to oblige by seizing more power for themselves. In the process, however, we lose just a little bit more of our freedom.

If the people want Sheriff Carona out of office, they can recall him. We are not without an option. It would be an overreaction to this current situation to forever change our county charter to allow the board of supervisors to remove from office officials that people elect simply because they decide the official is no longer worthy to hold office. Our freedoms are precious. Many have died to keep them. We should not give up our right to elect and remove elected officials here in Orange County without a fight.

Comments

[Meddlesome Nobody]

Well stated, Mr. Bucher.

Normally I'm a fan of Moorlach; I've even contributed to him. His idea for removing electeds, however, has to be one of his worst ever. Down there with his association with Chri$$ $treet.

[Missy]

liberty depends on keeping government's insatiable thirst for power in check....Every time the government is given more power to solve our problems, it also gets more power to run our lives.

Precisely right. The idea might sound good at the moment, but once this power is given to the Supervisors they (or future Supervisors) may use it in less benevolent ways.

This is also the reason Republicans should be calling for the impeachment of President Bush. The power he has consolidated, without significant opposition from either party, will be used vigorously by the next President. And, in all likelihood, the next President will be a Democrat.

Administrative leave, BOS removal, recall? What ever happened to a good old fashined tar and feathering?

[Flowerszzz]

Not only do I agree with Mark but pleae notice that Moorlach has excluded the BOS from this and protected himself! If you are gonna do it, do it all the way.

[tylerh]

Flowerszzzz nails it. Isn't one of the local school boards trying to remove Rocco? and isn' t most of OCBlog, myself included, defending Rocco on the basis that he has been elected?

Whatever comes of the Carona affair, he was duly elected, and should answer to the legal system and the voters, not other politicians.

Now, this Tar- and Feathering idea... that has some merit.

[Fred Smoller]

Given the conservative impulse not to change the system while political passions are boiling, perhaps the Board of Supervisors should unanimously vote to censure Mike Carona, and call for his immediate resignation. This may achieve the outcome everyone agrees is necessary without permanently changing the structure of County government.