Latinos have not yet forgotten that the local Republican party hired poll guards in 1988 to harass Latino voters or the attempt to deny Sanchez her seat in Congress. Democrats believe that government can be a constructive force in society. So do an increasing number of Orange County voters who look to government to build necessary and repair crumbling infrastructure, curtail development, provide health care to the poor, protect our air, water, and preserve open space. Democrats have been less enthusiastic about deregulation and privatization, ideas championed by the Republicans. Orange County s negative experience with HMO s, privately owned toll roads that continue to lose money, polluted beaches, and the deregulation of the electrical power industry has caused many residents to question free market solutions to complex public policy questions.
Orange County is a quintessential city of the future.
Tracking the changes that are taking place here can provide important information for policy makers for the rest of the nation.