Under Influence of Lobbyist Money

* Shirley Grindle (“Take Lobbyists Out of the County Contract Bidding Process,” Op-Ed, Aug. 27) misses two aspects of the present “district prerogative” method the Board of Supervisors uses to select big-ticket consultants. First, we have inadvertently discovered a way to publicly finance political campaigns by permitting lobbyists to broker campaign contributions in exchange for contract awards. Second, she neglects the demoralizing effect that the selection process has on county technical staff that honestly try to get the biggest bang for each taxpayer dollar only to see their efforts thrown away in a closed-door deal with a lobbyist who is (coincidentally) arranging a fund-raising dinner for a supervisor.

If you have any doubts about how the process really works, you could inquire as to how many times an entire three-member selection group was discarded because an (apparently) pre-selected candidate was not on it.

In a democracy, we get the kind of government we deserve.

ALAN J. NESTLINGER

Santa Ana

* Regarding lobbyists and county contract bidding: How many heads does this influence-buying hydra have? Is there no end to the ways our supervisors are willing to compromise the public trust to achieve their primary objective: getting reelected? Just as we thought we took care of one head by limiting campaign contributions (Measure T in June, 1992), another one pops up in the form of lobbyists unfairly influencing the county contract bidding process.

The grand jury recommended only that bidders disclose the names of lobbyists and their fees. No doubt, any change would be an improvement, but I find no reason for these lobbyists to be involved in the contract bidding process at all. Let them continue to lobby for their projects, but they should be banned from lobbying for projects funded by our tax dollars.

It is frustrating that so frequently our Board of Supervisors seems incapable of putting the public interest ahead of self interest. We are fortunate to have citizen watchdogs like Shirley Grindle, Common Cause and the League of Women Voters.

DALE O’NEAL

Laguna Beach