The Officials From Generation X : Politics: Santa Ana’s junior councilmen--just 28 and 27 years old--bring their energy to a youthful city.

SANTA ANA —  They are young, they listen to KIIS-FM and Power 106, and they help run the city of Santa Ana.

Ted R. Moreno, 28, and Tony Espinoza, 27--junior members of the City Council--met in high school and have helped each other climb the ladder of city politics over the past decade.

In an age when those under 30 are continually described as apathetic and apolitical, Moreno and Espinoza are bucking a trend. In fact, nobody in local politics can remember when such young office-holders served together on a local council.

“To the best of my knowledge of current and historical Orange County city councils, to have two people under 30 [on the same council] would be rare,” said Janet M. Huston, executive director of the Orange County division of the League of California Cities.

On a seven-member City Council where the next youngest member is 34 and the oldest is 60, Espinoza and Moreno say they bring some insight into how the youngest members of the community think, an asset in a city where the median age is 26.

“We know what it is to grow up in Santa Ana,” Moreno said. “It’s like talking to our friends. We probably still listen to the same radio stations.”

But the two Generation Xers must do more than listen to the right radio stations if they want to be successful politicians. They will have to learn to work better with other council members to get the votes for their pet projects.

Political observers and council members are still getting a feel for Espinoza, who was elected last November. But Moreno, elected in 1992, is building a reputation as a disruptive force on the council, given his tendency to level personal attacks against others.

Still, the two often vote together, and are seen as allies.

“Espinoza seems to be a Ted Moreno supporter, and right now, the jury’s still out on Ted Moreno,” said Don Blankenship, president of the Santa Ana Police Officers Assn.

Moreno acknowledges his bulldog reputation, and takes it in stride. “Yeah, that’s true,” he said. “I’m not going to deny that I speak my mind. You have a concept of what is right and what is wrong for everyone, and it gets you a little upset that some people could influence government and they only cater to a few.”

One of Moreno’s pet peeves is the Artists Village, which he has criticized for showing a display of condoms floating in jars of honey. Still, Moreno helped other council members establish the village--even though it only benefits a narrow segment of the community--and he is miffed that he has not received reciprocal support for projects he has favored, such as a downtown supermarket.

In person, Moreno and Espinoza come across as kinder and gentler. Both say they are devoutly religious, and enjoy nothing more than sitting at each others’ homes discussing politics. Moreno does not drink, and Espinoza says he rarely imbibes--only at weddings. In place of cigars, they enjoy chomping on Red Hot Tamale cinnamon candies during political discussions.

Like many politicians, Moreno and Espinoza say they became lawmakers because they wanted to make a difference, and it’s no coincidence they are on the council together.

They met as the presidents of their respective high school student bodies in 1985--Moreno from Santa Ana High and Espinoza from Santa Ana Valley High--and quickly joined forces with other community members to defeat the conversion of Santa Ana Stadium into a basketball arena.

Moreno, the son of an auto mechanic and a homemaker, graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in business administration in 1991. He then worked for the state Board of Equalization as a tax collector, but left after one year.

“You had to be mean-spirited in that position,” he said. “And it didn’t fit my personality.”

Once elected to the council, Moreno tried his hand at an import-export business involving Latino food products. When that quickly failed, he got a real estate license.

Moreno, who spent just over $11,000 for his council race and ran as an underfunded outsider, attributes his victory to God. “All I had was my own two feet and a little money I raised myself,” he said.

Espinoza was among the volunteers on Moreno’s City Council campaign, and Councilman Moreno appointed him to the Planning Commission.

Two years later, Espinoza ran for City Council on a ticket that included three Latinos backed by Moreno. Espinoza was the only one to win--by 332 votes.

“I shouldn’t be on the council right now,” joked Espinoza, who attributes his victory to “a lot of praying.”

Pointing to his achievements on the council, Moreno mentions the Delhi Community Center, a private nonprofit organization that provides everything from food distribution to AIDS care.

Espinoza, meanwhile, says he helped the city crack down on cruising, which had been attracting gang members and clogging Bristol Street on weekend nights. The way Espinoza describes it, he and Moreno worked like a pair of tag-team wrestlers.

“Ted could be asking from the left and I could be asking from the right,” he said. “And before you know it, the city manager is being hit from both directions.”

Councilwoman Patricia McGuigan is willing to credit the two twentysomethings with pushing through those pet projects. But she can just as easily note the biting comments Moreno makes--which tend to make him enemies.

McGuigan recalled the time she opposed Moreno and Espinoza in their efforts to approve a Latino market in a densely populated downtown area. Moreno ripped into her for a seemingly unrelated issue--approving a string of now-overcrowded apartment complexes years ago.

“After that last meeting, to attack me like he did. . . ,” McGuigan said. “I’ve had people call me and say he should apologize. I’m not holding my breath.”

Others are not so quick to praise the two junior members. Councilman Robert L. Richardson said everyone on the council approves the budget that goes toward paying for a lot of projects everyone can take credit for.

“Council members don’t go out and arrest people and lead recreational activity,” he said. “That takes money.”

On working with Moreno and Espinoza, he said: “I think Tony has displayed great potential,” but added, “If anyone, in the space of a meeting, denigrates two people and calls another a third person a liar, is that the mark of common sense, maturity or leadership?”

But Espinoza’s short tenure on the City Council, while less fiery than Moreno’s, has not been all peace and understanding. Espinoza, a deputy county probation counselor, already has been accused of unethical behavior.

When the downtown Latino market was first under consideration for approval, the council deadlocked 3 to 3. Espinoza had bowed out because he received a $1,000 campaign contribution from one of the market’s principals.

But Moreno resubmitted the project for consideration after the statute of limitations on Espinoza’s conflict of interest expired.

Councilwoman Lisa Mills, who opposed the project, quickly accused Espinoza of breaking the spirit of the law when he later voted on the project.

Espinoza countered: “We have certain laws in place. All I did was follow the rules.”

Both men plan to stay in the political scene.

Moreno, who ran unsuccessfully for the Assembly shortly after landing on the City Council, said he hopes to become a congressman someday, but plans on running for reelection to his council seat in 1996.

Espinoza said he will run for reelection in 1998 “if I’m still having fun.”

And so far?

“It has its ups and downs,” he said of the job, “but I’m having fun.”