Vasquez, Job Finished, Faces Uncertain Future

Collecting a last few personal items--a portrait of himself, a photo of his wife and teen-age son--Orange County Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez formally left office Wednesday, his future uncertain for the first time since he entered government service 15 years ago.

The first supervisor to become a casualty of the county bankruptcy, Vasquez, 40, announced his resignation earlier this year, citing his desire to spend more time with his wife and son and the stressful toll of the county’s financial collapse.

The onetime rising star of the Republican Party, who was one of the most prominent Latino officeholders in the state, said Wednesday that he has no idea what his next career move will be.

“Why is it so hard to believe that I haven’t decided anything yet?” Vasquez said with a smile. “Who knows what adventure or journey waits for me? I don’t know yet.”

Whatever path Vasquez chooses, it’s sure to be easier than the past 10 months. As board chairman at the time of the bankruptcy, Vasquez has been the target of harsh and relentless criticism blaming him for the debacle.

The county was forced to declare bankruptcy Dec. 6 after former Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron’s risky investment strategy caused a loss of nearly $1.7 billion, devastating county government and altering the financial pictures of cities that had put huge sums in the county pool. Vasquez said that he and others in charge were kept in the dark about the financial maneuvering that led to the crisis.

The barrage seemed only to worsen when Vasquez endorsed Measure R, the controversial half-cent sales tax that he believed was needed to bail the county out of bankruptcy. The measure was overwhelmingly rejected at the polls in June.

On Wednesday, the outgoing chairman of the board spent the day holding an “open office” as countless well-wishers, from Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi to secretaries and constituents, stopped in to say their goodbys and munch on an elaborate spread of snacks and other goodies.

“I really don’t know whether to cry or to cheer him,” said Gloria de Cordova of Anaheim, who met Vasquez years ago at fund-raisers for Latino causes. “He doesn’t need to put up with all this anymore.”

Red, white and blue helium-filled balloons and napkins were among the few remaining decorations in Vasquez’s 5th floor office at the Hall of Administration. Photos of Vasquez with the likes of former Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George Bush were taken down days ago and carted home.

Vasquez said he is sentimental about leaving but feels confident that the time to do so is now, after he has helped get the county back on the road to recovery. After he announced his resignation, Vasquez said, he set three goals for himself: Put together a bankruptcy recovery plan, help select a permanent chief executive officer and approve the 1995-96 budget.

All have been accomplished. And while it remains to be seen whether the bailout plan approved by the Legislature earlier this month will bring the county all the way back, those who know Vasquez say they are sure of his future success.

Vasquez himself said his faith and his background--being raised in poverty and being taught at a young age to work hard to succeed--will serve him well in the future.

But leaving has been difficult. Vasquez’s voice cracked with emotion Tuesday night as he presided over his last board meeting, where he thanked his friends, colleagues and county employees. During the public comment section of the meeting, many of those who frequently blasted Vasquez in public thanked him for his integrity, honesty and dedication to office.

That helped dull the pain of the past few months, Vasquez said Wednesday.

“I was sitting there listening to people using words like ‘respect,’ ‘understanding,’ ‘fairness,’ ” Vasquez recalled Wednesday. “What more can you ask for?”

Even those who have found themselves opposed to Vasquez over the years applauded him.

“It’s a very sad day for Orange County,” said political consultant Harvey Englander. “I’ve certainly been critical of him in the past, but Gaddi is still a remarkable guy and has had a great career. I think his future will be a good one.”

Throughout his career, Vasquez has seemed destined for higher political office. The son of an Apostolic minister, he was just 17 when he shared a podium with then-Gov. Ronald Reagan at the California Boys State convention.

He became a police officer at age 19--the youngest in the history of the Orange Police Department--and was academy valedictorian. In 1980, he became an aide to then-Supervisor Bruce Nestande, and five years later would become Latino community liaison and chief deputy appointments secretary for Gov. George Deukmejian.

In 1987, Deukmejian appointed Vasquez supervisor when Nestande resigned. Vasquez handily won the next two elections and had amassed more than $300,000 for the 1996 campaign before he decided to bow out.

Tom Fuentes, head of the county Republican Party and a Measure R opponent who blasted Vasquez for supporting the tax increase proposal, said Vasquez’s departure will help revitalize leadership in Orange County.

“Certainly, the events of the bankruptcy have made it a very difficult past year for those supervisors in office at the time,” he said, noting that Vasquez’s replacement will be the third new face on the board since the county declared bankruptcy. Supervisors Marian Bergeson and Jim Silva took office after the financial crisis emerged.

Gov. Pete Wilson has yet to announce Vasquez’s replacement.

Late Wednesday, as Vasquez prepared to leave his office for the last time, he said he had no regrets about his tenure, citing his successes in the area of children’s rights, transportation and law enforcement.

Rumors about his future abound. A telephone company executive? A city manager? Maybe a television newscaster. The best bet seems to be a job with the Orange Police Department, where Vasquez is a reserve officer, some say.

“I’ve heard them all. I’ve probably heard a dozen things that I’m going to do or be,” Vasquez said after cutting into a sheet cake decorated with a detailed map of the 3rd District and the words “Adios Gaddi.” “About the only thing I haven’t heard is that I’m going to be Disneyland tour guide.”

For one of the few times in his life, the man who is known for cautiously deliberating his every move intends to kick back and let his future come to him. It’s not looking bleak by any standard, he said.

“I’m never looking back,” Vasquez said. “I’m only looking forward and up.”

* RETIREMENT HINT: Supervisor Stanton indicates this term may be his last. A13