Features

Election Day Preview: Tom Bates

Compiled by Judith Scherr
Saturday November 02, 2002

Tom Bates 

Age: 64 

Born: San Diego 

Education: B.A. in speech, UC Berkeley 

Occupation: Worked in real estate and as a developer before elected to state Assembly; recently did non-profit work 

Offices held: state assemblymember (Berkeley), 1976 - 1996; Alameda County supervisor, 1972-1976 

Endorsements: Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, councilmembers Linda Maio, Margaret Breland, Dona Spring, Kriss Worthington 

Campaign Spending: raised $134,000 as of Oct. 19 

 

Rent control 

Supported rent control while in the state Legislature; continues to support it. Would make sure landlords who make repairs can pass costs on to tenants.  

 

Housing Trust Fund: Wants fund used for nonprofits to build affordable and low-income housing, not loaned to for-profit developers. 

 

Second Units: Wants to build second units behind homes to increase housing supply. To encourage that, change parking regulations to allow “tandem parking” where one car is parked directly in front of another. 

 

Divisiveness vs. cooperation : 

In Assembly, worked well with opposition and got 220 bills signed, mostly by Republican governors. He and wife, former mayor Loni Hancock blocked bulldozers about to demolish a UC Berkeley building, demonstrating their activism. (University tried to demolish the building at 6 a.m. without alerting community, Bates says.) Built amicable relations with Ira Michael Heyman, then UC Berkeley chancellor; Heyman supports Bates for mayor. Says Dean is divisive, citing her trip to Councilmember Kriss Worthington’s school in Ohio where she tried to get “dirt” on him. Dean’s negative campaign pieces indicate negative leadership style.  

 

Streamlining council meetings: To streamline council work, wants to establish Rules Committee: one progressive council member, one moderate and the mayor, staffed by the city manager; meetings open to the public. Wants the committee to establish the agenda, determine whether an item is placed on the council agenda, referred to the city manager for fiscal/program analysis, or sent to a board or commission for consideration and recommendation. Council meetings will end by 11 p.m. 

 

Streamlining city government: Wants to reduce number of boards and commissions by consolidation; allow some commissions to take their own minutes, freeing up staff; create department of the environment to consolidate functions in various departments addressing the environment. 

 

Addressing budget deficit: Says one reason for deficit is that city allowed police and fire to adopt rules that allows personnel to retire at age 50, with a sizable retirement; Suggests hiring freeze, getting citizen input on where cuts can be made, attracting new businesses and make university pay fees when it takes property off the tax roles. 

 

Economic development: Wants to attract businesses to bring sales taxes, rezone parts of Gilman Street and Ashby Avenue to allow neighborhood-serving retail below housing. Says there is a need for retail space for west Berkeley artisans; wants to market San Pablo and University avenues area as “International Market;” advocates streamlined permitting process. 

 

Parking: Not sure more parking needed; need to do study before building more parking.