Ex-O.C. Official Back in Politics

Six years after leaving politics amid the turmoil of Orange County’s bankruptcy, former Supervisor Roger R. Stanton is throwing his hat back in the ring.

Stanton is running for a seat on the Fountain Valley City Council, where he got his political start nearly 30 years ago.

The 65-year-old Cal State Long Beach business management professor, once one of Orange County’s rising political stars, said he doesn’t see Fountain Valley as a springboard for higher office. In fact, he said he would serve only one four-year term.

“The mistake people make when they get into politics is that they let their ego get out of control,” Stanton said. “But if you just think about how you can make a contribution--and I think I can make a contribution in this small, quiet community--there’s a blessing in obscurity.”

Stanton carries high name recognition--a park in nearby Midway City is named after him--but also some political baggage. He was on the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 1994 when the county lost $1.7 billion through bad investments and plunged into bankruptcy. Stanton and fellow Supervisor William G. Steiner faced civil charges by the district attorney’s office for failing to prevent the financial collapse. But the charges were dismissed.

“I’m a bit surprised he’s running for office,” said Cal State Fullerton political science professor Alan Saltzstein. “He was on the county board when it was going through tough times dealing with the problems of the bankruptcy. You had to take a lot of abuse, lay off a lot of people, and get yelled and screamed at. If it were me, I’d be tired of public office, so it’s to his credit that he still wants to run for office.”

Stanton, however, said he is rested and ready to give elected office another try.

“It was a refreshing break to be out of politics,” said Stanton, who served on the council from 1974 to 1981. “But I’m still interested in public policy.”

In papers Stanton filed to run for a council seat, he makes no direct mention of his tenure on the Board of Supervisors.

He said he was restricted to 200 words and instead chose to allude to his “past performance [that] earned him strong support from county public safety agencies.”

“I’m just a plain, ordinary citizen who is an educator and just interested in the community, and I wouldn’t embellish it beyond that,” Stanton said.

Stanton plans to continue teaching at Cal State Long Beach.

Stanton said he wants to work on issues of concern to him. He favors more prudent use of redevelopment funds, saying a $700,000 water fountain in front of City Hall is excessive.

He wants to develop programs to encourage more youths to enter politics and will work to improve senior services, transportation and water quality. He backs term limits and opposes cyber cafes.

Stanton still hopes to make a difference in the city where he’s lived 32 years.

But he’s also bracing for the public’s reaction to his election bid.

“It’s the risk you take running for office,” Stanton said. “I’m not running for the county board; I’m running for a council seat in a mid-size city. Obviously, there will be people who want to take their best shot, but you can’t be afraid to raise your hand in politics at any level.”

Stanton is running against Tom Holmberg, William Bohrk, Cheryl Brothers, Guy Carrozzo, John Collins and Sam Lew.