Here is another roundup of some of the most thought-provoking reader comments of the week. Click on each topic’s headline to see the article in question. Comments are selected by our editors and subject to editing for grammar, spelling, clarity and length.
A Proclamation for Harvey Milk?
Nelson is 100% right on this one. Anybody with a half of a brain knows that if Harvey Milk was a straight Republican supervisor murdered while on the job this [Orange County] Board [of Supervisors] would not hesitate for a second to put him on the proclamation list. Not a second.
This board just sat there and stared. They didn’t have the courtesy to give the citizens an answer. What a disgusting group.
— Truevoice / May 31
Nelson is evolving into a typical talking-head county politician who covers his hiney on both sides of the argument.
We pay the supervisors to make decisions on what to celebrate and what not to celebrate. If they can’t handle simple, routine decisions on such minor issues, how the heck could they make proper decisions on the big ones?
— Beelzebub / May 31
How refreshing to see an Orange County supervisor talk about fairness.
— Doosee / May 31
Farmworker Monument
The Orange County Fair and fairground has become a tool for board members to move their personal agendas. While things such as helping foster families and kids and honoring farm workers are worthwhile, it just seems blatantly clear that these are pet projects of board members. And because they are political appointees, it raises a flag.
Fairs as a whole are founded on agriculture roots, and keeping that component alive should be a perpetual way to honor farming and farm workers.
Somehow the management of the fair seems to think it has to have a Disneyesque feel to it or spend a lot of money on concerts and other entertainment to be successful. I think the fair has lost touch with its role in the community, and I don’t think board members are helping.
Fairs should not have to create monuments to honor agriculture. Rather they should create perpetual emphasis on their roots so that there is no question about who is responsible for putting your vegetables on the table. The Centennial Farm in itself is a tribute to that. Why do you need to spend $100,000 on a statue no one will really care about? Dedicate the farm to the workers and the importance of agriculture in our everyday lives. Baby pigs being born are going to attract more attention than a statue.
The Fair Board as a whole is a disgrace and does not represent nor have a clue about the organization to which they were appointed. Get the elephants back and oust the Fair Board.
— Voiceofreason / May 28
Voiceofreason, the thing you seem to be missing is while a fair has to preserve the heritage of the community, it needs to grow with the interests of the community. Fairs are not meant to be time capsules.
So yes, to continue to be a success and be able to fund things like Centennial Farm and livestock exhibits, the fair also has to provide entertainment that the community values, such as concerts and exhibits.
Sorry, but fairgrounds reflect the community, and it is the 21st century. Orange County is hardly an agrarian society anymore. While the fairground still pays tribute to that history, it must keep up with the interests of the community that supports it.
— Howdy Pardner / May 29