ORANGE COUNTY VOICES : Young Turks Will Lead the Charge in Decades Ahead

In the beginning there were lobbyists. They were about the only source of technical information available to California Assembly members before Jesse M. Unruh became Speaker in 1961.

Under Unruh’s leadership, the Legislature added professional consulting staff, providing an independent source of expert information. From this staff pool grew a new generation of legislative professionals, many of whom were elected to office and became leaders in their own right. Among them are Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy, former Controller Kenneth Cory, Rep. George Miller, state Sen. Barry Keene and Assemblymen Richard E. Floyd, Patrick Johnston and Richard Katz.

A similar evolution in leadership is under way in Orange County. A new crop of young leaders is emerging, and they will run things differently in the 1990s and the early new century. At the core of this group are several former aides to elected officials, especially to county supervisors.

During the 1970s and early 1980s the Board of Supervisors greatly expanded the size and professionalism of its staff, giving each supervisor a team of assistants to help evaluate and control local programs.

Today, many of these former aides have moved on to positions of increasing importance. Among the ranks of these “Young Turks” are John Erskine and Tom Daly, members of the Huntington Beach and Anaheim city councils; Stanley T. Oftelie, executive director of the County Transportation Commission; Thomas A. Fuentes, county Republican chairman; Ernie Schneider, county administrative officer, and Bill Hodge, principal financial adviser to Orange County’s three newest cities.

Most often mentioned as a leader by his peers is Daniel H. Young, now mayor of Santa Ana. Young began his local career as an aid to former congressman Jerry M. Patterson, himself once mayor of that city. Young has distinguished himself in the League of Cities, serving as chairman of a “super committee” exploring the future of transportation in the county.

Schneider, Fuentes, and Oftelie tend to operate in their own orbits of influence and power. But a tight bond of friendship and shared experience exists between Young, Miller, Erskine, Daly and Hodge.

All except Young simultaneously worked for the Board of Supervisors. Earlier, Young, Miller and Erskine studied together at Cal State Fullerton. All three were active in local Democratic politics until Erskine and Young bolted in the mid-1980s, leading a minor exodus of others to the Republican Party.

They were all active in local politics at a time when scandals over campaign financing and bribery shook the county. Watching as heads rolled, they learned that disgrace--or worse--was the harvest of breaking the law.

The friendship among the Young Turks is relevant. They pick up the telephone and call each other to discuss ideas and concerns. They advise each other and add to each other’s networks of contacts.

Unlike many in local government, they seem more interested in substance than appearance. If there is competition among them, it is to see who can accomplish the most.

Raised on countywide and national issues, they share a common vision of the future. Their concerns extend beyond the boundaries of their own cities. All of them are active in some aspect of countywide transportation issues. Young and Daly, for example, are exploring the concept of a privately financed monorail to connect Anaheim and Santa Ana.

In many ways, growth has outstripped its ability to meet the transportation, education and social service needs of its citizens. In the coming era of scarcity and conflict between competing interests, the Young Turks hold the promise for compromise, cooperation and accomplishment.

This new breed of local leaders may be the nucleus for a larger cadre of government officials and business people who can lead Orange County in the challenging decades ahead.