Tom Bates
Encyclopedia
Thomas H. Bates is an American politician and is currently serving as the Mayor
of Berkeley, California
. He previously served 20 years as a member of the California State Assembly
before being termed out in 1996. Bates is married to Loni Hancock
, a former mayor of Berkeley and State Assembly member who currently serves in the California State Senate. Bates is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley
and was a member of the Golden Bears
' 1959 Rose Bowl team. Bates was a Captain in the United States Army Reserves after graduating from college and served in Germany. He worked in real estate prior to his service in the state legislature. Bates also served as a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.
After retiring from the Assembly in 1996, Bates taught at UC Berkeley and worked to ensure healthier foods in the Oakland and Berkeley school districts. In 2002, Bates was drafted out of retirement to challenge the two-term incumbent mayor of Berkeley, Shirley Dean
. He won the race with 55% of the vote.
Shortly after his successful 2002 campaign for mayor, he admitted to throwing away about one thousand 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 an infraction and was fined $100. During his term, Mayor Bates worked with the City Council to pass a law outlawing the stealing of free newspapers. Additionally, he took the opportunity to speak to Berkeley public school students about the consequences of his actions.
Mayor Bates' priorities include: expanding youth and education services, creating stronger environment policies, improving relations with the UC Berkeley campus, building more housing in the downtown, and restoring civility to Berkeley government http://www.cityofberkeley.info/mayor/. He also supports zero tolerance
in enforcing the legal drinking age, and in 2004 Berkeley police launched sting operations against many liquor stores and bars throughout the city, and found that 40% sold alcohol to minors
and adults under age 21.
In 2004, Berkeley voters approved Measure I, amending the City's charter to change the date of mayoral elections to coincide with presidential elections and to adjust the mayor’s 2006 term to two years on a one-time basis to accomplish this result. Therefore, the next mayoral election took place in November 2008.
In November 2006, Mayor Bates won re-election in a landslide, defeating former City Planning Commissioner Zelda Bronstein 63% to 31% - the largest margin of victory in a Berkeley mayor's race since 1967. (Native American and community activist Zachary Runningwolf and Christian Pecaut won 5% and 1%, respectively.)
In January 2008, Berkeley drew national attention when the Berkeley city council passed a motion to send a letter to the US Marines to tell them they were "unwelcome intruders." Bates voted to approve the motion. He voted to amend the letter on February 12 to remove language like "unwelcome intruder" from the letter. On 13 February 2008, Bates said: "I think it stands (that) we didn't want them here and they came here. And (they are) unwelcome, you know we'd like them to leave voluntarily. So I don't think an apology is in order."
In November 2008, Mayor Tom Bates was re-elected to a third term by a large margin, defeating former Mayor Shirley Dean 61% to 36% (two official write-in candidates won 3%, collectively.) In 2009, Bates appeared in the documentary film Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. He previously served 20 years as a member of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
before being termed out in 1996. Bates is married to Loni Hancock
Loni Hancock
Loni Hancock is currently serving in her first term as the representative of California State Senate District 9. The 9th Senate District currently includes Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Livermore, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond, and San Pablo...
, a former mayor of Berkeley and State Assembly member who currently serves in the California State Senate. Bates is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and was a member of the Golden Bears
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
' 1959 Rose Bowl team. Bates was a Captain in the United States Army Reserves after graduating from college and served in Germany. He worked in real estate prior to his service in the state legislature. Bates also served as a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.
State Assembly
Bates 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. Under Republican governors, 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, and the founding of the first Community Bank in the Bay Area. Bates authored the first legislation in the country allowing "brew pubs" - establishments that brew their own beer for sales on and off the premises and are typically combined with a restaurant.After retiring from the Assembly in 1996, Bates taught at UC Berkeley and worked to ensure healthier foods in the Oakland and Berkeley school districts. In 2002, Bates was drafted out of retirement to challenge the two-term incumbent mayor of Berkeley, Shirley Dean
Shirley Dean
Shirley Ann Dean , considered moderate in Berkeley politics, is an American politician who served as the Mayor of Berkeley, California from 1994 to 2002...
. He won the race with 55% of the vote.
Mayor
Newspaper theft
Newspaper theft is a form of censorship in which a large portion of the print run of a newspaper or other publication is stolen or destroyed, with the intention of preventing others from reading it...
of The Daily Californian
The Daily Californian
The Daily Californian is an independent, student-run newspaper that serves the University of California, Berkeley campus and its surrounding community. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and twice a week during the summer...
on the day before the election after the student-run campus newspaper endorsed his opponent, then-Mayor Shirley Dean. He was charged with an infraction and was fined $100. During his term, Mayor Bates worked with the City Council to pass a law outlawing the stealing of free newspapers. Additionally, he took the opportunity to speak to Berkeley public school students about the consequences of his actions.
Mayor Bates' priorities include: expanding youth and education services, creating stronger environment policies, improving relations with the UC Berkeley campus, building more housing in the downtown, and restoring civility to Berkeley government http://www.cityofberkeley.info/mayor/. He also supports zero tolerance
Zero tolerance
Zero tolerance imposes automatic punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct. Zero-tolerance policies forbid persons in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are...
in enforcing the legal drinking age, and in 2004 Berkeley police launched sting operations against many liquor stores and bars throughout the city, and found that 40% sold alcohol to minors
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
and adults under age 21.
In 2004, Berkeley voters approved Measure I, amending the City's charter to change the date of mayoral elections to coincide with presidential elections and to adjust the mayor’s 2006 term to two years on a one-time basis to accomplish this result. Therefore, the next mayoral election took place in November 2008.
In November 2006, Mayor Bates won re-election in a landslide, defeating former City Planning Commissioner Zelda Bronstein 63% to 31% - the largest margin of victory in a Berkeley mayor's race since 1967. (Native American and community activist Zachary Runningwolf and Christian Pecaut won 5% and 1%, respectively.)
In January 2008, Berkeley drew national attention when the Berkeley city council passed a motion to send a letter to the US Marines to tell them they were "unwelcome intruders." Bates voted to approve the motion. He voted to amend the letter on February 12 to remove language like "unwelcome intruder" from the letter. On 13 February 2008, Bates said: "I think it stands (that) we didn't want them here and they came here. And (they are) unwelcome, you know we'd like them to leave voluntarily. So I don't think an apology is in order."
In November 2008, Mayor Tom Bates was re-elected to a third term by a large margin, defeating former Mayor Shirley Dean 61% to 36% (two official write-in candidates won 3%, collectively.) In 2009, Bates appeared in the documentary film Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley
Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley
Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley is a documentary film directed by Emio Tomeoni and produced by Meo Productions.The film concerns Berkeley, California's attempt to green the city—partly by passing Measure G in Berkeley in 2007—and the various factions in the city arguing over the best way to...