Ex-Councilman Continues His Tax-Fighting Quest

Former Garden Grove Councilman Bob “Tax Fighter” Dinsen considers the current City Council a little too liberal. But then again, he also thinks Barry Goldwater was a little too liberal.

So it’s no surprise he’s actively campaigning to bring a local initiative to the November 2000 ballot to prohibit the city from using administrative overhead charges from local utility bills for other general city purposes.

Basically, he doesn’t want people paying more for services than they cost. He calls administrative overhead charges “just another tax.”

City officials say the charges represent the city’s cost for providing services and that those costs will not go away by eliminating the charges from specific service bills.

Still, Dinsen is walking the neighborhoods four days a week, determined to make the city tighten its belt, as he said much of the community has had to do.

Dinsen received a minor setback on Wednesday when he was informed by city officials that he needed to collect signatures from 10% of the registered voters in Garden Grove, about 5,600.

He contends that a provision in the state Constitution requires only 1,000 signatures--5% of the city’s voters who cast ballots in the last gubernatorial election..

But, not wanting to take the city to court, Dinsen said he will continue to walk the neighborhoods, bringing the issue to the people of Garden Grove. And for the most part, people are responding.

At his last check, Dinsen had collected about 2,900 signatures. Dinsen said he fully expects to reach his goal of 7,000 signatures by the March 2000 deadline and that about 90% of the people he approaches sign the petition.

“It doesn’t take too much to get people to sign,” he said on a recent afternoon signature drive. “I just explain what the situation is and they sign it if they’re ready.”

Resident Philip Bock was one. “You’re paying $11 for the water bill, $6 for the service fee and $18 for the rate increase,” he said. “It stinks.”

With this initiative, Dinsen is hoping to find the success he couldn’t get as a council member. For 18 years, Dinsen was the lone voice of opposition on the City Council when it came to spending.

Dinsen lost his seat last year but should have been appointed after former Councilman Ken Maddox (R-Garden Grove) won his bid for the state Assembly.

A local ordinance passed in 1990 recommends that the next-highest vote-getter be appointed to any vacant seat on the council. But council members picked Mark Rosen.

Chris Ceballos can be reached at (714) 966-7440