Anybody for Seconds? Not at This Table

When I heard that Garden Grove’s City Council was about to appoint someone to replace Ken Maddox, elected to the state Assembly in November, I had no doubt who would get the job:

Anybody but Dinsen.

Bob Dinsen had been the “no” vote on the council for 18 years. If it takes tax dollars to do it, Dinsen said “no” more often than the other four council members combined. Especially on redevelopment, which Dinsen opposes on principle.

To the relief of his fellow council members, Dinsen lost his seat in the November election. But with Maddox’s seat now open, Dinsen thinks he deserves another chance.

Here’s why:

In 1990, Garden Grove voters passed an advisory measure suggesting that in such appointments, the next highest vote-getter not elected should get the seat.

That would be Dinsen. He came in third in November, when only two got elected: incumbent Mark Leyes and retired police officer William Dalton. But that measure is advisory only, and doesn’t carry nearly enough weight to make these councilmen bring back their least favorite thorn.

Tuesday night was the first time the new council met. Dalton, sworn in just moments before, nominated Dinsen, out of a sense of fairness. But with no one to second the nomination, Dinsen was left to twist slowly in the wind.

“Frankly, we’d just had it with Bob’s contrariness,” said Leyes. “He was just never willing to compromise on anything.”

So if not Dinsen, then who? After he was shot down, things really got interesting: The council wound up with nobody. It comes back Thursday night to try again.

Leyes nominated former planning commissioner Barbara Beatty, next highest in November votes after Dinsen. No one would second her either. So Leyes nominated attorney Brad Knypstra (his actual favorite).

Silence again. Mayor Bruce Broadwater, a Democrat, may have feared that Leyes, a Republican, would gain too much power if Knypstra joined the council. And Councilman Ho Chung may have had his own reasons for not backing Leyes’ candidate: Chung ran against Maddox in the primary for that same Assembly seat and Leyes backed Maddox.

With Leyes’ candidates shot down, Broadwater had his own proposals--three of them. No seconds in the house for his choices either. His top suggestion, planning commissioner Lee Butterfield, is a Democrat like Broadwater. She didn’t stand a prayer.

Chung offered no candidates of his own.

So then Broadwater came up with a compromise candidate: He nominated Beatty--the same person Leyes had just nominated. Only this time, Leyes wouldn’t second her candidacy.

Even Leyes had to chuckle later. “Politics sometimes is a matter of timing,” he said. “Barbara has proven to be in line with the council majority’s philosophy on major issues. But I just thought her time to get voted in had passed.”

Broadwater admits he knew her name wasn’t going to fly.

“We were all doing a little posturing,” he said.

So what has happened since Tuesday night to get this thing off the dime? Nothing. Thursday night’s vote could be more of the same.

If something isn’t decided by Jan. 4, the seat goes up for grabs in a special election. But neither Leyes or Broadwater wants to see that happen. After all, that might throw Dinsen back in their faces.

I’ve got my own candidates to offer. Not by name, but by gender. Garden Grove has a long history of electing only males to its City Council. In fact, only one woman has ever served on that city’s council, and that was more than 20 years ago. That’s too long for a city that wants to be a progressive front-runner in the ‘90s.

But these council members don’t see gender as a key issue. Some insiders believe attorney Mark Rosen, Broadwater’s third nominee, could well be the front-runner now.

If Beatty or Butterfield is to break this glass ceiling, they may have to do it with the voters in two years.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to [email protected]