Bay Area
Nat Bates, First Elected to Richmond Council in 1967, Bids ‘Final Farewell’
After serving this great City of Richmond twice as its mayor, several times as vice mayor, and many years as a councilmember since 1967, this day has very special meaning to me as I emotionally bid my final farewell.

By Nat Bates
(Former Richmond City Councilmember Nat Bates, who at age 91 was the nation’s oldest elected official, penned this farewell speech for his final day in office Jan. 10, 2023.)
After serving this great City of Richmond twice as its mayor, several times as vice mayor, and many years as a councilmember since 1967, this day has very special meaning to me as I emotionally bid my final farewell.
Because of this historical Covid-19 pandemic swearing-in ceremony, I will try to be brief with my final statements as an elected official.
In 1967, when elected on my very first attempt as a city councilman, little did I realize the length of my tenure nor the many contributions I would be involved in making Richmond such a prosperous and quality city.
If I were to qualify my strongest commitments and contributions to the city and community, I would list in no preferable order my solid support for Public Safety, perhaps because of my 30+ years as an Alameda County Probation Officer.
Throughout this nation and universe, public safety of all residents is the number one priority the citizens demand from our government.
Second, no city can survive without a strong business community that includes all of our businesses (small, medium and large) because they contribute immensely to city employment opportunities for our residents, and significant and much needed tax revenue to the City.
I am very proud to have provided leadership roles in the development of the Hilltop Mall Shopping Center, which also included the Auto Row, which at the time, was one of the development showcases of the Bay Area negotiations in attracting Home Depot, Target, Foodco, Costco and other businesses that were frequently met with strong opposition — but the majority of the council stood firm and strong while approving these projects for the betterment of the city.
I am also very proud of my personal working relationships with almost every housing developer including the late Carl Dame (Carriage Hills), Bert Clausen (Brickyard Cove), along with Peterson/Moratti, Former Oakland A’s owner Steve Schott, the Ghilemetti Builders, Toll Brothers, Shea Homes, and the late Robert Poe and his son Richard (Marina Bay to name a few), for the high quality of beautiful housing developments that has made Richmond one of the most desirable places in the Bay Area to reside.
These developments have brought to Richmond a strong group of talented citizens who have contributed significantly to the city by becoming city staff members and or participating on our boards and commissions.
Needless to say, many of these business and housing developments oftentimes have received strong opposition from various members of the community, but we proceeded to move forward, and the city is richer and more prosperous than ever.
Additionally, I wish to thank the voters for their continued support over the years where it afforded me a personal opportunity to meet and work directly with several United States presidents, governors, United States senators, members of Congress and others.
Obviously, one of the highlights of my career was working personally with President Jimmy Carter and his administration in the construction of the John Knox Freeway.
Being the one and only City of Richmond elected official to have been invited to a White House Christmas Celebration by then President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama and personally meeting and communicating with them became the highlight of my political career. This occurred only because of the continued support of the voters, and I thank each of them very much.
Time does not permit me to mention all of those who have assisted me on the way, but I would like to acknowledge City Manager Shasa Curl, City Clerk Pamela Christian, Planning Director Lina Velasco, Community Services Director LaShonda White, Police Chief Bisa French, Fire Chief Angel Montoya, Housing Director Nannette Bechman, IT Director Sue Hartman, City Attorney Dave Aleshire and their entire staffs along with City Council Liaison Trina Jackson-Lincoln and several others — too many to name.
Staff plays such an important role while supporting elected officials in accomplishing their goals and aspirations, and Richmond has some of the best.
I would be derelict — as well as disrespectful — if I did not acknowledge the many who contributed to this five decades of political journey. First was my 1967 campaign committee where many are no longer with us including my late spouse Shirley Bates, the late Mayor George Livingston, a personal friend, along with then Supervisor Jim Kinney; businessman Elton Brombacher; Aileen Hernandez, perhaps the most intelligent and savvy political person I have known who was later elected to NOW (the National Organization of Women); longtime friend Louis Pierce; and Winters Calvin.
Very pleased to continue to have with us committee members are former Councilman Jim McMillan, Meckila Pierce and Willie Reed who has been my sports teammate from El Cerrito High School, Contra Costa College, and the Indian Head Rockets baseball team where the two of us were recently honored by being inducted into the Saskatchewan Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame this past August 2022.
I would also like to thank the many mom-and-pop, small and big business groups I have worked with over the years as well as the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, led by James Lee; Council of Richmond Industries, led by Katrinka Ruk; and the Contra Costa Realtors and Apartment Association. Also, many thanks to the labor unions, especially the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council with Bill Whitney, Ché Timmons, Tom Hanson, Don Gosney, and Richmond’s Public Safety — Police and Fire Unions for their years of support.
Thanks to individual friends like Al Engel, Jim Levin, David Spatz, Bobbie Amos, Terry Kwong, Barbara O’Neil, Shawn Molberg, Steve Seher, and the Lompa Family, to name a few.
Lastly, to my devoted and loving family who has been with me each and every step of the way through the good and bad times. My only daughter Gale Bates Anderson, my eldest son Larry Nathaniel Bates, my youngest son Steven Bates as well as their spouses, in-laws, my grand- and great-grandchildren. I owe each of them my appreciation because my journey has also been their journey, and I love them very much.
To incoming Mayor Martinez and the new council, I wish you the very best in solving the many challenges you will be facing immediately and in the future. A city divided serves no purpose for our residents, and please be mindful the business community and their taxes are the life stream of a prosperous and successful city.
There must be some respectful resolution to Measure “U” which is creating and causing havoc in our business community. Remember, as Richmond prospers, we all prosper and as Richmond fails, we collectively also fail.
Finally, to my many loyal friends and supporters, Thanks again for five wonderful and memorable decades filled with love, respect, support and appreciation. We did it together, and I could not have done it without you.
Stay healthy and safe and may God continue to bless each of us and this great city of Richmond, the only home I know and love.
Activism
Over 500 Join Interfaith Rally in Solidarity with Los Angeles Resistance to Trump Invasion
Over 500 people attended the Tuesday evening rally in Oakland, which was held simultaneously with a prayer vigil in Los Angeles, where rabbis, pastors, Muslim faith leaders, and indigenous spiritual leaders gathered to pray and speak out about the federal government’s abuses of power.

By Post Staff
n response to last week’s “invasion” of Los Angeles by armed and masked federal agents, East Bay faith leaders and community members, joined by Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, held an Interfaith vigil Tuesday evening at Oakland’s Fruitvale Plaza in support of Los Angeles residents and immigrant communities across the country.
Over 500 people attended the Tuesday evening rally in Oakland, which was held simultaneously with a prayer vigil in Los Angeles, where rabbis, pastors, Muslim faith leaders, and indigenous spiritual leaders gathered to pray and speak out about the federal government’s abuses of power.
Earlier on the same day, hundreds of protesters at San Francisco and Concord immigration courts shut down the courts after masked, plainclothes federal ICE agents detained people seeking asylum attending their court hearings.
“Too many families in Los Angeles torn apart by this invasion still do not have access to a lawyer — and that’s not an accident. We, the people, the community, are here to say, ‘Enough!’ We must keep organizing and demand that ICE and our government respect the rights of all people and uphold the principle of due process,” said Andrés Pomart with Trabajadores Unidos Workers United.
“We know that when we organize, we win. That’s why our communities – Black, Brown, and working-class – are coming together to support each other in solidarity. Together, as immigrant communities and as a united working class, we will not be divided nor intimidated nor live in fear,” Pomart said.
“Immigrant communities — yes, our immigrant communities — are the heartbeat of Oakland, enriching our neighborhoods with diverse cultures, languages and experience, and deserve the quality of life that every human being deserves. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. “Your city remains committed to protecting our immigrant neighbors,” said Mayor Lee.
“When Trump’s armed goons come for our families and communities, when they trample on our shared values of freedom and opportunity, when they make a mockery of our rights to due process, we are called to step up for our neighbors,” said Supervisor Bas. “This is not just an immigration story. It’s a story about who we are — and how we respond when our neighbors are under attack and when the president of the United States abuses his powers. When they come for one of us, they come for all of us.”
Said Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, the Oakland teachers’ union president, “It is time for us to say, ‘Not in our city.’ We will stop, we will block, we will drive out ICE. We will protect our classrooms. We will protect our streets. We will protect our homes. Together, we rise for the dignity of our families and our right to live without fear.”
“I feel that the president and the current administration is grossly overstepping and abusing their power,” Rabbi Chai Levy, speaking to KQED. “I feel that, as a religious person, communities of faith need to show up and stand in solidarity with immigrants who are threatened and afraid. “It’s important to show up as people of conscience and morality and say that we’re against what our government is doing.”
The vigil was hosted by Bay Resistance, and co-sponsoring organizations included the Alameda Labor Council, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Faith in Action East Bay, Restore Oakland, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland Rising, Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy, SEIU Local 1021, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), SEIU United Service Workers West, Jewish Voice for Peace Bay Area, Jobs with Justice San Francisco, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Urban Peace Movement, and Trabajadores Unidos Workers United.
Activism
Oak Temple Hill Hosts Interfaith Leaders from Across the Bay Area
Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.

Special to the Post
Interfaith leaders from the Bay Area participated in a panel discussion at the annual meeting of communication leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held on Temple Hill in Oakland on May 31. Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.
Chambers, said he is thankful for the leadership and support of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints’ global ministry, which recently worked with the interfaith congregations of ICAC to help Yasjmine Oeveraas a homeless Norwegian mother and her family find shelter and access to government services.
Oeveraas told the story of how she was assisted by ICAC to the Oakland Post. “I’m a Norwegian citizen who escaped an abusive marriage with nowhere to go. We’ve been homeless in Florida since January 2024. Recently, we came to California for my son’s passport, but my plan to drive for Uber fell through, leaving us homeless again. Through 2-1-1, I was connected to Rev. Ken Chambers, pastor of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County, and his car park program, which changed our lives. We spent about a week-and-a-half living in our car before being blessed with a trailer. After four years of uncertainty and 18 months of homelessness, this program has given us stability and hope again.
“Now, both my son and I have the opportunity to continue our education. I’m pursuing cyber analytics, something I couldn’t do while living in the car. My son can also complete his education, which is a huge relief. This program has given us the space to focus and regain our dignity. I am working harder than ever to reach my goals and give back to others in need.”
Richard Kopf, communication director for The Church of Jesus Christ in the Bay Area stated: “As followers of Jesus Christ, we embrace interfaith cooperation and are united in our efforts to show God’s love for all of his children.”
Alameda County
Council Approves Budget to Invest in Core City Services, Save Fire Stations, Invest in Economic Development
I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering the consequences of last year’s budget, where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services, including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts.

By Janani Ramachandran, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember
On Wednesday, June 11, City Council took a bold step to prioritize investing in essential city services to get our beautiful Town back on track. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I am proud to have led a collaborative process, alongside Councilmembers Rowena Brown, Zac Unger, and Charlene Wang, to develop a set of amendments to the proposed FY 2025-2027 budget which passed successfully with a vote of 6 – 1. Despite facing a $265 million structural budget deficit, we were able to restore funding to ensure that all 25 fire stations remain open, fund 5 police academies, invest millions of dollars to combat illegal dumping and sideshow prevention, improve our permitting processes, fund a “business incentives” program to revitalize our commercial corridors, improve upon our homelessness prevention work, amplify the city’s anti-trafficking programs, re-instate our tree services division, staff up our Auditor’s office – all while preventing any layoffs of city staff, keeping our senior centers and after-school programs open, and crisis services like MACRO funded.
I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering the consequences of last year’s budget, where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services, including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts. The budget that we passed this week proudly does not fund recurring expenses with anticipated one-time revenue – and moves our city towards being fiscally responsible with our taxpayers’ funds.
Our budget comes in response to the widespread and consistent calls from across Oakland’s diverse communities asking us to prioritize funding solutions to the issues that have most directly impacted our residents’ safety and quality of life. Our priorities are also inspired by our belief that Oakland is on the way not only to financial recovery, but also to global recognition. Oakland can attract and preserve businesses of all sizes with safer, cleaner streets. We can and will have more large-scale festivals that celebrate our culture, concerts that uplift our incredible local musicians, conferences that attract patrons from across the world, and award-winning restaurants that top national charts. We are on our way to rebuilding a thriving economy and having a cultural renaissance will create more jobs for Oaklanders while also generating more revenue for the City through sales and business taxes.
I am grateful for the close partnership with our new Mayor Barbara Lee, and know that she shares our values of ensuring we are prioritizing keeping Oakland’s residents safe, our streets clean, and our businesses prosperous in an open and fiscally responsible manner. I am also thankful to our City Administrator, Jestin Johnson, and former Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins’ efforts to produce the initial proposal that our Council budget team used as a starting point for our amendments, and for their shared commitment to transparency and ethical government. I am especially grateful for every resident that took the time to make their voice heard throughout this rigorous budget process. I have no doubt that we are on the verge of true change, and that together we will bring Oakland back to being the world-class city I know it can be.
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