Tom Bates

From Free net encyclopedia

Tom Bates (born February 9, 1938) is a California politician, currently serving as the Mayor of Berkeley, California.

He is married to Loni Hancock, a former mayor of Berkeley who presently represents the 14th District in the California State Assembly. Bates is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. While at Cal, he played on the Golden Bears 1959 Rose Bowl team. After college, Bates served in Germany as a Captain in the United States Army Reserves and later worked in real estate.

He previously served in the California State Assembly representing the 14th District (the East Bay Area) from 1976 to 1996. During those 20 years, Bates was known as one of the legislature's most liberal members. Bates authored over 220 bills that became law, including the creation of the East Bay Shoreline State Park, a number of progressive social policy laws, the founding of the first Community Bank in the Bay Area, and the first legislation in the country allowing "brew pubs." [1]

After retiring from the Assembly in 1996, Bates taught at the University of California, Berkeley and worked on requiring healthier food in the Oakland and Berkeley schools.[2] In 2002, Bates challenged the two term incumbent Mayor of Berkeley, Shirley Dean. He won the race with 55% of the vote.[3] His major issues include: expanding youth services, creating stronger environment policies, improving relations with the University of California, Berkeley campus, building more housing in the downtown, and restoring civility to Berkeley, California government.[4] Bates has announced his intention to run for re-election in November 2006. [5] Three people have announced plans to challenge Bates.[6]

Shortly after his successful 2002 campaign for Mayor, he admitted to trashing 1000 copies of The Daily Californian on the day before the election after the student-run campus newspaper endorsed his opponent, then-Mayor Shirley Dean. He was charged with a petty theft infraction, which he pled guilty to, and was fined $100. He also agreed to pay a $500 restitution to the student-run newspaper for the infraction and urged the Berkeley City Council to pass an ordinance outlawing the stealing of free newspapers. Additionally, he took the opportunity to speak to Berkeley public school students about the consequences of his actions.[7]

[edit]