ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : A Moderate Needed for Roth’s Seat

Gov. Pete Wilson should move swiftly to replace Orange County Supervisor Don R. Roth, who has resigned, effective next Monday, under the weight of investigations into his political finances. The 4th District, which includes Anaheim, was neglected far too long as Roth’s legal problems worsened.

Making it easier for the governor to move quickly is the fact that, as a practical matter, his list of possible replacements is small. From one perspective, that’s bad news. Among the half-dozen names on the unofficial list, there is no female candidate and only one minority member. This again points up a serious problem in Orange County--which is becoming increasingly diverse--of getting broader representation in its governmental leaders.

Because of political realities, the list fails to contain the names of several people who might be good choices for the post. In the best of all possible worlds, Buena Park Councilwoman Rhonda J. McCune, a Republican, and Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly, a Democrat, would be included. McCune is not widely known, and Daly virtually has no chance of being appointed by a GOP governor to a position held by a Republican. But he, McCune and perhaps others might prove to be strong candidates for the seat in next year’s elections.

Orange Councilman William G. Steiner, 55, clearly is the best of the small field under consideration. He is an expert on child-advocacy issues and is executive director of Orangewood Children’s Foundation, an emergency shelter for abused and neglected children in Orange. He also was a trustee of Orange Unified School District. Steiner ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination to the 71st Assembly District in 1991, at which time he was endorsed by The Times. In the endorsement he was praised for a “proven record of community involvement” and for building a highly successful public-private partnership at Orangewood. There is no reason to change that assessment.

Steiner, a moderate Republican, enjoys the support of a wide range of political leaders. But Wilson is being lobbied by conservative Republicans who would like someone who better matches their ideological bent.

The attention span of Wilson is likely to be short in this matter. He has many important issues to decide, including who should replace state schools Supt. Bill Honig, recently convicted of conflict-of-interest charges. The governor also faces tough state budget negotiations.

There’s no reason that Wilson shouldn’t be able to quickly decide who should fill Roth’s unexpired term until the 1994 election. Barring unexpected disclosure of unfavorable information about Steiner, he is the logical choice among those being considered.