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California State Archives State Government Oral History Program Oral History Interview with TOM BATES California State Assemblyman 1977 1996 Alameda County Supervisor 1973 1976 January 13 February 1 23 April 26 May 10 17 31 June 7 14 September25 Octobers 26 November 14 2000 and February 8 2001 Berkeley California By Leah McGarrigle Regional Oral History Office University ofCalifornia Berkeley Cataloging information BATES TOM(b 1938) State assemblyman California State Assemblyman 1977 1996 Alameda County Supervisor 1973 1976 2004 n 577 pp Childhood and family background southern California UC Berkeley BA 1961 and Rose Bowl football team US Army Special Services 1962 1963 real estate with Coldwell Banker Bedford Associates Democratic election campaigns 1968 2001 staff for California Assemblyman Ken Meade with mentions ofDon Mulford Jeffrey Cohelan Ronald Dellums Alameda County Board of Supervisors 1973 1976 reapportionment and Phillip Burton alternative health centers fluondation land use issues Calfomia State Assembly 1977 1996 workers compensation independent living centers and Edward Roberts rent control mental and community health legislation motor voter law funding for libraries public schools and the University ofCalifornia challenging term limits Proposition 140 (1990) comments on Speakers Willie Brown and Leo McCarthy Governors Deukmejian and Wilson Berkeley city politics Mayor Loni Hancock and relations with the university working with Dion Aroner and Art Agnos East Bay Public Safety Corridor Oakland Hills fire 1991 and vegetation management Peralta Community College District negotiations Center for Ecoliteracy Berkeley Public Schools Interviewed 2000 2001 by Leah McGarrigle for the Calfomia State Archives State Government Oral History Program TABLE OF CONTENTS—Tom Bates INTERVIEW HISTORY i BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY ii SESSION! January 13 2000 [Tape! Side A] 1 Family background—^Parents—Sunshine Biscuits—Growing up on a ranch in Grossmont CA—Family relationships [Tapel SideB] 14 Move to La Habra Heights—Horses and citrus groves—Bill Lee and other friendships— Fullerton High School—Discnmination experience—Working for the Nixon family— Richard and Don Nixon [Tape 2 Side A] 27 Importance ofsports in the family—More on Fullerton High School—Football scholarship to UC Berkeley—Boys League—Key Club—Beta Pi fraternity—Rose Bowl—Rugby at Cal [Tape 2 Side B] 40 More on rugby—Marriage and influence ofCarol Martin—ROTC—Segregated accommodations m Texas SESSION 2 February 1 2000 [Tape 3 Side A] 48 Athletics at UCB—Fellow football teammates—Joe Kapp—Adjutant General s Corps US Army—Special Services Germany 1962 [Tape 3 SideB] 62 Football game in Basel Switzerland 1962—Cal games with Notre Dame and Michigan State—Leaving the army—Settling m Mann County with family [Tape 4 Side A] 76 Commercial real estate sales with Coldwell Banker—Proposition 14 1964—Real estate development with Peter Bedford—^Ken Meade s campaign for assembly 1968 vs Don Mulford—Campaign management—Ron Dellums over Jeffrey Cohelan for Congress— Voter registration drives 1970 and Ken Meade s campaign [Tape 4 SideB] 89 More on Meade s successful campaign vs Mulford 1970 SESSIONS Februarys 2000 100 [Tape 6 Side A] Fallout with Assemblyman Ken Meade and working in district office—Climate in Sacramento 1970s—Speaker ofthe Assembly Bob Moretti—George McGovern s campaign for President—Bates runs for Alameda County Board ofSupervisors—Support from Dick and Pat Groulx [Tape 6 SideB] 114 Campaign for Board of Supervisors—Walking precincts door to door—Campaign movie—Helping with movie The Candidate—Wmmng the election—Visits from the Teamsters—Federal revenue sharing funds [Tape 5 Side A] 128 More on funds for local districts—Funds for alternative health centers—Reapportionment by the Alameda County Board ofSupervisors—Campaigns ofO Sullivan and Murphy for Board of Supervisors—More on Don Mulford and Louis Lurie—Fluoridation issue— Land use issues [Tape 5 SideB] 143 More on Board of Supervisors—Williamson Act (1965) land—Land use SESSION 4 April 26 2000 [Tape 7 Side A] 149 Disagreement between Meade and Moretti—Meade leaves the legislature—Bates campaign for state legislature Uncomfortable relationships in the board—City of Berkeley politics—Rent control [Tape 7 SideB] 163 More on the Costa law rent control in Berkeley—Freshman assemblyman works on overtime bill—Heavy lobbying and defeat ofbill [Tape 8 Side A] 177 Working and living arrangements in Sacramento—Sharing space with staff—Ed Roberts and Center for Independent Living—Bills for independent living centers and residential treatment for the mentally ill—Background to Proposition 13 1978—Left ofcenter SESSIONS May 10 2002 [Tape 9 Side A] 187 Meeting Loni Hancock Berkeley City Council 1971—Getting Berkeley Citizens Action (BCA) support for state assembly—First day and swearing in—^Parents reaction— Occupying Ken Meade s seat—Dress code for the senate—Willie Brown as assemblyman—Incredible talent in the legislature [Tape 9 SideB] 201 Freshman legislator learning the ropes—Core values—Credibility m the legislature— Workers compensation—Collegiahty perks and holding on to values [Tape 10 Side A] 214 Consideringanother political office—Creative ideas—Feminization of poverty—Mental health legislation—Brewpub legislation catches on across U S —Limited Equity Coop Bill—Transit villages—Legislation for fire safety—Motor Voter Law SESSION 6 May 17 2000 [Tape 11 Side A] 228 Traffic diverters in Berkeley—Ways ofworking with state legislators—Redistribution on tax monies cities to schools—Funding libraries m Albany and Oakland—Roundtables gather different viewpoints—More on communityhealth legislation SESSION? May 31 2002 [Tape 12 Side A] 243 District office staff work—Advocating for constituents—Working with CalTrans— Prisoners letters—Bates office has reputation for helping people—Student interns and excellent staff—^Encouraging staffto advance—Dion Aroner [Tape 12 Side B] 257 Bates endorses Aroner in campaign for his assembly seat—Campaign and election— Being the spouse ofan elected official [Tape 13 Side A] 269 Identity as a former legislator SESSION 8 June 7 2000 [Tape 14 Side A] 271 Term limits 1990 take effect in 1996—Experience ofleaving office—Challenging Proposition 140 in federal court—Democratic caucus Tuesday lunches—Fundraisers lobbyists and supporters [Tape 14 Side B] 284 More on financial supporters ofTom Bates—Chair ofHuman Services Committee— Effects in the caucus ofnot raising money—Speakers Leo McCarthy and Willie Brown— The Democratic caucus [Tape 15 Side A] 299 Lawsuit challenging term limits 1996 1997—Jones v Bates—Loss on appeal— Legislature crafting another term limits proposition 2000 [Tape 15 SideB] 313 Philosophy pro and con behind term limits SESSION 9 June 14 2000 [Tape 16 Side A] 316 Relationships between Republicans and Democrats—Disability issues and parks— Working with Republican Governors Deukmejian and Wilson—^Primary intervention program and the Mental Health Committee—Governor Wilson adopts and renames many ofBates ideas [Tape 16 Side B] 329 Art Agnos and welfare reform—^Dion Aroner s unusual negotiations—Task force on changing families with Senator Diane Watson 1980s—Women s issues—Democratic issues [Tape 17 Side A] 342 East Bay Public Safety Corridor—Collaboration ofcities and counties—Federal grants for work with children —Healthy Starts—Corridor Council—Partnership with East Bay Community Foundation—^Accountability for revenue [Tape 17 Side B] 357 More on East Bay Public Safety Corridor—Legislation on Saturday night specials— Domestic violence—^Blended funding for seniors—Oakland hills fire 1991 and coordinated efforts in response SESSION 10 September 25 2000 [Tape 18 Side A] 364 Disaster legislation after 1991 fire—The Bates bill—^Enforcement in later years [Tape 18 SideB] 377 East Bay Vegetation Management Group—^More on fire management—Earthquake insurance—Partnership on issues with Loni Hancock mayor ofBerkeley SESSION 11 October 5 2000 [Tape 19 Side A] 389 More on Bates entrance into politics—Electing more Democrats—Lionel Wilson first African American mayor of Oakland—^Bob 0 Sullivan Charlie Santana and Alameda County Board of Supervisors—John George and reapportionment—Ron Dellums and other Bay area Democratic politicians [Tape 19 Side B] 403 More on Ron Dellums—Value ofendorsement by Ron Dellums—Philosophy on state legislators getting involved with local politics—Representing Berkeley—Impact of election date change from April to November—^Voters approve district elections in Berkeley—^Berkeley politics [Tape 20 Side A] 417 Moving back to Berkeley—Loni s close election for mayor—^Lom s political style and the public s reaction—^The homeless issue—Budget problems—Road conditions—City manager turnover—^Mxmicipal status ofUC Berkeley—Diversification ofcampus under Chancellor Mike Heyman—Community access to campus facilities—School ofthe Deaf and Blind—Regional park land—Seismic retrofitting—Chancellor Chang Lin Tien—Trip to Russia—Riots on Telegraph Avenue SESSION 12 October 26 2000 [Tape 21 Side A] 434 Representing UC Berkeley in state legislature—Unionization ofteaching assistants— Student housing issues—Subsidized student bus fare—UC lobbying day m Sacramento— Public Policy Institute—Senate Finance retreat—Relationship with Senator Nicholas Petris—Divestment 1980s [Tape 21 SideB] 448 Student government leader Pedro Noguera—Working with the regents—^President David Gardner—Responsibilities ofchancellor—State funding—Corporate donations for research and resulting questions—Cost ofattracting