Mike Rotkin
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Mike Rotkin is a professor of community studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, long-term city council member and former mayor of Santa Cruz, California. A former motorcycle mechanic with an MA in the History of Consciousness, he first ran for city council on a lark as a "socialist-feminist" in 1979, taking first place among voters at a time when Santa Cruz was more Republican than Democrat. He has taught the history of Marxism at UC Santa Cruz for over 30 years, while serving five terms as city councilman, including four terms as mayor, longer than anyone in the city's history. During his more than 20 years in city government, city spending on social services and programs increased from $80,000 a year in 1979 to $1.5 million by 1990. While he has also served as president of the UCSC teachers' union, he has recently been criticized as taking conservative positions on various issues affecting the economic development of the city, including labor issues.[1][2][3]
[edit] References
- ^ McCord, Shanna. "Rotkin in the middle of key Santa Cruz issues in 2005", Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2006-01-01. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ McCord, Shanna. "Election 2006: Veteran politician Rotkin wants another term on council", Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2006-10-04. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ McCord, Shanna. "Robinson wins most contested seat on S.C. council; Mathews, Rotkin stay on", Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2006-11-08. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
