<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Packard Reluctantly Calls for the Closure of San Onofre Checkpoint

Close it: A frustrated Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside), for years a fervent advocate of a remodeled, modernized border checkpoint south of San Clemente, has reluctantly backed off that position and called on Congress and immigration officials to close it down.

Packard blamed his new stance on the Clinton Administration, which he said appears to have disbanded the proposed $30-million upgrade of the San Onofre checkpoint on Interstate 5. After meeting last Wednesday with Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner, Packard issued a statement urging officials to close two checkpoints (the other is in Temecula) and shift all the resources and agents to the “first line of defense” at the border.

“I have been an advocate of the checkpoints in the past, operating under the assumption that the expansion at San Clemente would take place,” Packard said. “But I am concerned that the Clinton Administration has no intention of expanding the checkpoint at San Clemente.”

Packard said the checkpoint “is useless unless it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Because of budget constraints, the checkpoint is now shut down intermittently.

Meissner said the INS is re-evaluating its entire enforcement policy and that because the border will receive first priority, the closing of the checkpoints is a possibility. The San Onofre checkpoint is about 50 miles north of the border.

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New faces: Anyone who still doubts that 1994 will be a year of dramatic political change in Orange County might consider the powerful Orange County Transportation Authority. The composition of the 11-member OCTA board, one of top 10 most powerful transportation agencies in the country with a $624-million annual budget, will change radically. At least six members are scheduled to move on.

Among those set to step down are Councilman Gary L. Hausdorfer of San Juan Capistrano, Mayor Daniel H. Young of Santa Ana, Councilman Irv Pickler of Anaheim, Councilman Robert P. Wahlstrom of Los Alamitos and retiring County Supervisors Thomas F. Riley and Harriett M. Wieder.

There’s more: Charles V. Smith of Westminster is facing a recall and William D. Mahoney of La Habra is still undecided about another council stint. And Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, who is expected to be the next chairman of the Board of Supervisors, would be forced to become an OCTA alternate.

“There’s no question there will be a whole new majority on the board,” Hausdorfer said.

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Attorney anyone?: Where did they all go?

Away from politics, judging by the lack of candidates who list “attorney” as an occupation these days. Some political experts say attorneys become “small-business owners” at election time.

“I have been told the one thing you studiously want to avoid is being designated on a ballot as an attorney,” said Howard Klein, an Irvine patent attorney and conservative politico who is running for a seat on the Republican Central Committee. “This is why you see people who are attorneys claiming they are small businessmen. I guess the theory is that if you are a practitioner of law you are a small businessman.”

Or perhaps a litigator, as conservative Republican Tom Reinecke of Newport Beach describes himself. Reinecke is locked in a heated battle with Irvine Councilman Barry J. Hammond for the Republican nomination in the 70th Assembly District, which is being vacated by incumbent Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach).

Klein happens to be a major backer of Hammond, who lists himself as a mediator, which is similar to an arbitrator but not an attorney.

Klein does not take this advice himself, however.

“I don’t think it’s right, from my own personal perspective: When you hand out your business card it says ‘attorney at law,’ ” he said. “Unfortunately, there is no way for the registrar of voters to check these things out.”

Of course, Klein has run twice for the central committee and--as an attorney--lost both times.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Wednesday and Saturday: Two fund-raisers will be held for Municipal Court Judge Barbara (Tam) Nomoto, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at El Ranchito restaurant in Santa Ana, and at 6 p.m. Saturday at Dynasty Seafood restaurant in Westminster.

* May 1: California senatorial candidate Kate Squires speaks at the Evangelical Free Church of Yorba Linda, 4 p.m.

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Anti-Labor Vote

Aside from Democrat Tom Umberg, Orange County’s state lawmakers are a decidedly anti-labor bunch. A recent California Federation of Labor survey of more than two dozen key labor bills showed that most consistently voted against organized labor. John R. Lewis received the lowest score in the Senate. A look at how often they sided with organized labor:

Assembly 1992 1993 Doris Allen (R-Cypress) 14% 15% Mickey Conroy (R-Orange) 7 8 Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) 6 6 Ross Johnson (R-Fullerton) 10 10 Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside) * 4 Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) * 8 Tom Umberg (D-Garden Grove) 91 94

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Senate 1992 1993 Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) 31 32 William A. Craven (R-Oceanside) 53 54 Rob Hurtt (R-Garden Grove) * 9 John R. Lewis (R-Orange) 4 4

* Not in office in 1992

Source: California Federation of Labor

Compiled by Times staff writer Len Hall, with contributions from staff writer Eric Bailey.

Politics ’94 appears every Sunday.