Divergent Political Styles, Same Political Destination

Todd Spitzer and Charles V. Smith don’t join the Board of Supervisors until January. But last week’s marathon session on converting the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into a commercial airport offered a glimpse at their contrasting styles.

Spitzer, who opposes the airport plan, was the first public official to address the board and passionately urged supervisors to delay their decision until the new board meets again Jan. 7.

Smith, an airport supporter, listened attentively but remained silent during the hearing, speaking only after Board Chairman Roger R. Stanton invited him to the podium. “I’m here to gather information,” Smith said softly.

Though both men were elected to the board in upset victories last month, they have very different political styles and bring their own philosophies to a county government stained by bankruptcy.

Smith, 64, is a retired aerospace engineer whose election caps a long political career, including stints as Westminster mayor, chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority and president of League of California Cities Orange County division.

Spitzer, 36, is a deputy district attorney and former Brea school board member who many see as being destined for higher office.

Smith has earned a reputation as a quiet consensus-builder who helped unite Orange County’s various government agencies behind the bankruptcy recovery plan. Spitzer is more brash and outspoken, and his tenure on the Brea Olinda Board of Education was at times rocky.

“Chuck Smith seems like a smart, nice guy . . . [but] definitely part of the political establishment,” said Bill Ward, a Costa Mesa community activist. “On the other hand, Todd is bursting with energy, almost contrarian in his viewpoints. He comes off as more of an outsider, an independent voice.”

Smith and Spitzer will join a board conspicuously absent of veteran supervisors. Former Laguna Niguel Councilman Thomas W. Wilson was appointed to the board earlier this month by Gov. Pete Wilson, while Supervisor Jim Silva was elected just two years ago. The board’s longest-serving member will be William G. Steiner, who took office in 1993.

“There is no question that there will be a new board dynamic,” said Steiner, who will be chairman. “But I feel very optimistic about the board relationships. There will be disagreements, but I don’t think the board will be disagreeable.”

Spitzer’s come-from-behind victory this fall was a rare upset in a county where supervisorial races traditionally bring little drama.

Many compare Spitzer’s win to the legendary 1980 supervisorial election, when Stanton, then a Fountain Valley councilman, upset veteran Supervisor Phil Anthony in a bitter contest.

Spitzer donated $100,000--practically all his savings--to the election effort. The money helped him emerge from a crowded field in the March primary election. In the general election, Spitzer faced Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange), the early favorite who secured the backing of many top Republican officials.

The fall campaign was unusually nasty and included one highly publicized incident in which Conroy flipped off Spitzer during a campaign event. Spitzer used the incident, as well as sexual harassment charges filed against Conroy, in a series of cutting but effective mailers.

“Todd was very successful in creating doubts in people’s minds about whether Mickey was a stable leader,” political consultant Dan Wooldridge said.

At the same time, Spitzer won the support of many South County leaders for his vocal opposition to the El Toro airport. “He has the kind of aggressive drive we need,” said Mission Viejo Councilwoman Susan Withrow, a primary foe who later endorsed Spitzer. “We don’t just need a ‘no’ vote. We need someone who will raise the red flag.”

But Spitzer’s aggressive style also has detractors, including some colleagues on the Brea Olinda school board.

Nearly a dozen Brea leaders and activists asked about Spitzer declined comment or did not return phone calls. “I have no opinion,” said school trustee Susie D. Sokol, who publicly endorsed Withrow in the primary election.

“I’ve grown to like him. I didn’t always feel that way,” added Trustee Teresa Hampson. “We have philosophical differences on some things, but I respect his intelligence. I’ve seen Todd do a lot of positive work.”

Privately, others described Spitzer as overly ambitious and at times inflexible. “He’s very opinionated and rubs some folks the wrong way,” said one Brea activist, who asked not to be named.

A prime area of conflict was the discovery in 1993 that counselors at Brea Olinda High School changed more than 600 grades in an effort to improve the students’ academic records.

Some school officials didn’t want to make public details of the grade-changing scandal for fear it could harm the district’s reputation. But Spitzer insisted on a full public airing and openly criticized the way some administrators handled the matter.

“This was a moral choice I had to make,” Spitzer said. “My training is as a prosecutor, and my goal is to find the truth. That exploration is sometimes painful. But it’s not meant to hurt anyone, just get to the truth.”

Despite his reputation, Spitzer said he intends to be a consensus-building force on the Board of Supervisors.

“People should not expect me to come barreling out of a cannon,” he said. “I recognize that the job requires compromise and consensus. My goal is to work with the other supervisors to get the county back on track and renew public confidence.”

A year ago, Smith’s political future looked cloudy.

A jury had just found him and five other Westminster officials guilty of violating the civil rights of several city firefighters.

The case stemmed from a city investigation into overtime fraud at the department and unsuccessful attempts by the firefighters union to recall Smith and two other council members.

Some firefighters sued, contending they were punished for speaking out against city officials. The jury awarded them $1.9 million in compensatory damages.

Smith described the long-running clash as “the worst years of my life” and said he still can’t understand how the jury could find him guilty.

“I think the jurors were taking their frustrations with government out on us,” he said. “Here I was trying to serve the city, and they were talking about taking everything I had, including my retirement money. It was a degrading experience.”

Even though the city immediately appealed the decision, Smith feared that the case could hurt his election chances. But the case never emerged as a major campaign issue, in part because Smith described it to audiences as an epic battle. “We stood eye-to-eye with the national AFL-CIO and saved the taxpayers money,” he often said.

Smith faced Garden Grove Councilman Mark Leyes in the general election. They shared many of the same positions on key issues, but Leyes had a significant fund-raising edge and won the backing of powerful GOP Assembly leader Curt Pringle. Still, Smith won by a slim margin.

“Chuck is a very solid, and in the end, people were looking for very stable leadership in wake of the bankruptcy,” Wooldridge said.

Leyes said he respects Smith but questions whether his style will be effective in a county government. “I believe consensus-building is sometimes overrated,” Leyes said. “You have to ask tough questions and take tough stands. If not, it will be business as usual.”

Alan Davis, the attorney representing the firefighters in their lawsuit, said the case raises questions about Smith’s judgment. “Is this man a conciliator? If people believe that, they are sadly misled,” Davis said.

But others who have worked with Smith over the years praise his ability to deal with contentious issues like the bankruptcy and bring feuding parties together. They also credit him with protecting OCTA bus service, which faced sharp cutbacks during the bankruptcy.

“He’s a fair person, not rigid, and he stands up for what he believes is right,” said Tony Lam, the nation’s first Vietnamese elected official, who met Smith a decade when they organized a Vietnamese American Lion’s Club.

Lam said Smith has been a loyal supporter of efforts to nurture the city’s Little Saigon district, even though his efforts were sometimes unpopular with other residents.

“He’s always tried to serve the entire community, not just certain parts of it,” Lam said. “That’s what will make him a good supervisor for the county.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

New Board Members

TODD SPITZER

Age: 36

Occupation: Deputy district attorney

Residence: Brea

Family: Married

Education: Bachelor’s degree, UCLA; master’s degree, UC Berkeley; Hastings Law School

Background: Trustee, Brea Olinda Unified School District; reserve police officer in Los Angeles

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CHARLES V. SMITH

Age: 64

Occupation: Retired aerospace manager

Residence: Westminster

Family: Married, four children, three grandchildren

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Ohio State University; graduate work, UCLA

Background: Westminster mayor; former chairman of Orange County Transportation Authority; former president of Orange County League of California Cities

*

Source: Times reports; Researched by SHELBY GRAD / Los Angeles Times

* APPOINTMENT ENDING

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