Zócalo's Connecting California
Bitter winds blowing in Orange County
Recent decisions on homelessness and immigration show that Orange County leaders are out of step with their constituents.
Orange County is one of the richest places in the country, but political leaders are balking at find a place to live for a couple of thousand homeless people. Meanwhile, Orange County’s economy and lifestyle are heavily dependent on immigrant labor: so why is the county siding with president Trump’s aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants? Zocalo Public Square commentator Joe Mathews says there is a growing disconnect between politics and reality in Orange County. It underscores a larger problem in California: our local governments simply can’t meet the challenges and standards of our diverse and globally oriented communities.