Ron Dellums
Dellums' official photo for the 105th Congress
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 9th district
In office 1971–1998
Preceded by	Jeffery Cohelan
Succeeded by	Barbara Lee
Born	November 24, 1935 (1935-11-24) (age 72) Oakland, California
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Leola "Roscoe" Higgs, Cynthia Lewis
Children	Joshua, Alexander, Kimiko, Erik, Piper, Brandy, and Michael. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. California's 9th congressional district covers a significant portion of the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Jeffery Cohelan ( June 24, 1914 - February 15, 1999) was a United States Representative from California. Barbara Jean Lee (born July 16 1946) is an American politician and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Erik Todd Dellums (born 1964 is a US Actor. He has had parts in television police dramas such as New York Undercover, Homicide Piper Dellums is an author and producer and the daughter of United States Politician Ron Dellums.

Ronald Vernie "Ron" Dellums (born November 24, 1935), U.S. Democratic Party politician, is the Mayor of the City of Oakland, California. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U He was a U.S. Representative from California from 1971 until his resignation on February 6, 1998 and following that, a lobbyist until his election as mayor. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Lobbying includes all attempts to influence Legislators and officials whether by other legislators constituents or organized groups He is the 47th mayor of Oakland. He is Oakland's second African American mayor.

Dellums was the first African American elected to Congress from Northern California and the first openly socialist Congressman since World War II. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[1]

Contents 1 Early life 2 Political career 2.1 Berkeley city council 2.2 U.S. Congress 2.2.1 Vietnam war crimes hearings 2.2.2 Anti-apartheid campaign 2.2.3 Cold War conflicts in southern Africa 2.2.4 Military budgets and arms control 2.2.4.1 Opposition to the MX missile 2.2.4.2 Opposition to the B-2 Stealth Bomber 2.2.5 U.S. House Committee positions 2.2.6 Dellums' last Congressional election 2.2.7 Congressional tribute 2.2.8 Voting record 2.3 Oakland mayoral election 2.4 Mayor of Oakland 2.5 Party affiliations 3 Drug use allegations 4 Support of Black Muslim Bakery 5 Family life 6 Grenada and Cuba controversies, treason allegation 7 Criticisms of lobbying activities 8 External links 9 See also 10 References

Early life

Dellums was born in Oakland. His father, Verney Dellums, was a longshoreman. His uncle, C.L. Dellums, was one of the organizers and leaders of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Cottrell Laurence “C L” Dellums was one of the organizers and leaders of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP was a Labor union in the United States organized by the predominantly African-American Pullman Porters

He attended Oakland Technical High School and McClymonds High School. Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech or just simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland California, and is operated McClymonds High School, also known as Mack, and Mack House, was a public High school, in the West Oakland neighborhood of Oakland California ^[2]

He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956. Dellums later received his A.A. degree from the Oakland City College in 1958, his B.A. from the San Francisco State University in 1960, and his M.S.W. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1962. An associate degree is an Academic degree awarded by Community colleges Junior colleges four-year Universities, Business colleges Laney College is a Community college located in Oakland California, next to the Lake Merritt BART station and the Kaiser Convention Center. San Francisco State University (informally referred to as San Francisco State, SF State, State and SFSU) is a public University The Master of Social Work ( MSW) is a Master's degree in Social work received from a Graduate school that has been approved by the Council The University of California Berkeley (also referred to as Cal, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) is a major research university located in Berkeley ^[3] He became a psychiatric social worker and political activist in the African American community beginning in the 1960s. Psychiatry is a medical specialty which exists to study, prevent, and treat Mental disorders in Humans Psychiatric Social work is a discipline involving the application of Social theory and research methods to study and improve the lives of people groups and societies African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa ^[3] He also taught at the San Francisco State University and the University of California, Berkeley. San Francisco State University (informally referred to as San Francisco State, SF State, State and SFSU) is a public University The University of California Berkeley (also referred to as Cal, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) is a major research university located in Berkeley ^[4]

Dellums is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans. Alpha Phi Alpha ( ΑΦΑ) is the first intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans Founded on December 4 1906 on the campus of The Greek alphabet (Ελληνικό αλφάβητο is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early Fraternities and sororities (from the Latin words la frater and la soror, meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively are fraternal ^[5] He is a member of the fraternity's World Policy Council, a think tank whose purpose is to expand the fraternity's involvement in politics, and social and current policy to encompass international concerns. The World Policy Council of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is a Nonprofit and Nonpartisan Think tank established in 1996 at Howard University A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization institute corporation or group that conducts Research and engages in advocacy in areas such ^[6]

Political career

Dellums has been in politics for over forty years. He has held positions on the Berkeley city council, in the US House of Representatives, and is the mayor of Oakland, for the term beginning 1 January 2007. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Berkeley city council

Dellums was elected to the Berkeley city council, and served from 1967 to 1970. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town. ^[7]

U. S. Congress

He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1970 after being recruited by anti-Vietnam War activists to run against the incumbent, Jeffery Cohelan, a white liberal close to organized labor who had not opposed the war early enough to win reelection in the district. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Jeffery Cohelan ( June 24, 1914 - February 15, 1999) was a United States Representative from California. Liberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset favoring individual Liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty whether they come from A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Dellums defeated Cohelan in the Democratic primary and won the general election, serving without interruption for 27 years. ^[8]

His politics earned him a place on the so-called Nixon's Enemies List, where his notation stated Dellums "had extensive EMK-Tunney support in his election bid. Nixon’s Enemies List is the informal name of what started as a list of President Richard Nixon ’s major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22 1932 is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic John Varick Tunney (born June 26 1934) was a Democratic Party United States Senator and Representative. "^[9][10]

Vietnam war crimes hearings

In January, 1971, just weeks into his first term, Dellums set up an exhibit of Vietnam war crimes in an annex to his Congressional office. The My Lai Massacre ( approximately) (thảm sát Mỹ Lai was the Mass murder of 347 to 504 unarmed citizens of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam almost The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied The exhibit featured four large posters depicting atrocities allegedly committed by American soldiers, embellished with red paint. This was followed shortly thereafter by a series of hearings on alleged war crimes in Vietnam, which began April 25, 1971. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Dellums had called for formal investigations into the allegations, but Congress chose not to endorse the proceedings. As such, the hearings were ad hoc and only informational in nature. As a condition of room use, press and camera presence were not permitted; however, the proceedings were transcribed. ^[11] A small number of other anti-Vietnam War congressional representatives also took part in the hearings.

Anti-apartheid campaign

In 1972, Dellums began his campaign to end the apartheid policies of South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Fourteen years later, the U. S. House of Representatives passed Dellums's anti-apartheid legislation, calling for a trade embargo against South Africa and immediate divestment by American corporations. The bill, the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, had broad bipartisan support. The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act () sponsored by US Representative Ron Dellums in 1972 was the first United States anti-apartheid legislation It called for sanctions against South Africa and stated preconditions for lifting the sanctions, including the release of all political prisoners. Ronald Reagan called for a policy of "constructive engagement" and vetoed the bill; however, his veto was overridden. A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. It was the first override in the 20th century of a presidential foreign policy veto. ^[12]

Dellums' fight against apartheid in South Africa was the subject of a Disney Channel made-for-TV movie, The Color of Friendship, released in 2000. For the Disney Channel in other countries see Disney Channel around the world. The Color of Friendship ( 2000) is an Emmy Award -winning The film was directed by Kevin Hooks, based on a script by Paris Qualles. The role of Congressman Dellums was played by actor Carl Lumbly in the movie. Carl Winston Lumbly (born August 14, 1951) is an American Film, stage, and Television Actor. ^[13]

Cold War conflicts in southern Africa

As part of the Cold War struggle for influence in southern Africa, the United States joined with the apartheid government of South Africa in support of UNITA, led by Jonas Savimbi, against the ultimately victorious Angolan forces of the MPLA supported by the Soviet Union and the Cuban armed forces. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola ( União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola) is the second-largest Political party in Angola. Jonas Malheiro Savimbi ( August 3, 1934 &ndash February 22, 2002) led UNITA, an anti-Communist rebel group that fought against Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho is an Angolan political party The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Military of Cuba Military manpower Dellums was criticized for his support of Fidel Castro's involvement with the MPLA in Angola and was called a "Castroite congressman" by the conservative press. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho is an Angolan political party ^[14] He also introduced legislation (which was unsuccessful) in September 1987 to prohibit economic and military assistance to Zaire, citing poor human rights, corruption, and alleged collaboration with South Africa. Events in September It is the start of the academic year in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The Republic of Zaire (pronunciation; République du Zaïre was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between October 27, 1971 The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa ^[15]

Military budgets and arms control

Throughout his career Dellums led campaigns against an array of military projects, arguing that the funds would be better spent on peaceful purposes, especially in American cities. Programs he opposed included the Pershing and MX missiles, and the B-2 bomber (popularly known as the "stealth bomber"). Pershing was a family of solid-fueled two-stage Medium-range ballistic missiles designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the Redstone missile as WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Because of his commitment to the closing of unneeded military bases, Dellums did not oppose the closing of the Alameda Naval Air Station in his own district. Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Naval Air Station Alameda ( NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda California, on San Francisco Bay ^[16]

Opposition to the MX missile

The MX missile was a "third-generation" inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM). One of its advantages over earlier missiles was its greater survivability. Survivability is the ability to remain alive or continue to exist Unlike previous missiles, the MX was mobile. The design was for fifty missiles to be placed on trains that would be shuttled between numerous hiding sheds around a railroad loop located in remote Utah. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Another advantage was that the MX was a MIRVed missile — each missile had up to ten nuclear warheads. A multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle ( MIRV) is a collection of Nuclear weapons carried on a single Intercontinental ballistic missile Typically a warhead is the Explosive material and Detonator that is delivered by a Missile, Rocket, or Torpedo.

Dellums argued that constructing the MX would only propel the ongoing arms race and cause the Soviet Union to construct more weapons. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 He also argued that the issue of survivability of existing missiles was a red herring; the Soviet Union could not expect a first strike to go unpunished — U. Survivability is the ability to remain alive or continue to exist Ignoratio elenchi (also known as irrelevant conclusion or irrelevant thesis) is the Informal fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be S. nuclear-equipped submarines, bombers and cruise missiles would inflict devastating damage even if all American ICBMs were disabled. As part of the campaign, Dellums met with the Mormon church in Utah. TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon

The MX project was eventually cancelled and the last missile decommissioned in 2005 as part of the START II treaty. START II, the St rategic A rms R eduction T reaty, which was signed by United States President George H

Opposition to the B-2 Stealth Bomber

The B-2 "stealth bomber" is a long range strategic bomber. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Stealth aircraft are Aircraft that use Stealth technology to make it harder to be detected by radar and other means than conventional aircraft by employing a Strategic bombing is a Military strategy used in a Total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability to wage war rather Featuring "stealth" technology that made it far less visible to radar, the B-2 was a major technological advance over the existing B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Stealth technology also known as LOT (Low Observability Technology is a sub-discipline of military Electronic countermeasures which covers a range of techniques used with Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout However, it was designed during the Cold War for military scenarios that some argued were less relevant following the collapse of the Soviet Union and, at over two billion dollars per airplane, critics considered it enormously expensive. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 ^[17]

Although Dellums opposed the B-2 project from the start, Congress approved initial funding for production of 135 bombers in 1987. However, with the winding down of the Cold War, total B-2 production was reduced to 21 aircraft in the early 1990s. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the But in 1997, seven former Secretaries of Defense signed a letter urging Congress to buy more B-2s, citing the difficulty of assembling a similar engineering team in the future should the B-2 project be terminated. The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U ^[18] Dellums, citing five independent studies consistent with his position, offered an amendment to that year's defense authorization bill to cap production of the bombers with the existing 21 aircraft. The amendment was narrowly defeated;^[19] nonetheless, Congress never approved funding for additional B-2 bombers.

U. S. House Committee positions

Dellums served as chairman of the House Committee on the District of Columbia and the House Armed Services Committee. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816 The US House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a Standing committee of the United States House of Representatives

Dellums also served on the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Post Office and Civil Service Committee, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Select Committee to Investigate the Intelligence Community. The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816 The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Silvestre ^[20]

Dellums co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971. The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the African American members of the Congress of the United States. ^[21]

Dellums' last Congressional election

Dellums easily won his next eleven elections in the traditionally Democratic 9th District. In his last House election race, in 1996, Dellums bested his opponent, Republican Deborah Wright, by a 77%-18% margin. ^[22]

In 1997, Dellums announced that he was retiring from Congress in the middle of his term and a special election was called — which created a series of five special elections in 12 months as various East Bay politicians ran for different political office. A by-election or bye-election (called special election in the United States) is an Election held to fill a political office that has become vacant For more detailed information, see Special election musical chairs. " Special election musical chairs " is a term used by editorialists to describe a series of Special elections triggered by the mid-term resignation or death of an officeholder

Dellums' successor, Barbara Lee won the 2000 election by an even larger, 85%-9% margin. Barbara Jean Lee (born July 16 1946) is an American politician and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives ^[23]

Congressional tribute

Upon his resignation, several members of Congress, including Nancy Pelosi,^[24] Jane Harman,^[25] William Coyne, Nick Rahall, Ike Skelton, Juanita Millender-McDonald and Tom DeLay gave speeches on the floor of the House in honor of Dellums. Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born March 26 1940 is the current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Jane Harman is also a pseudonym of the British author Terry Harknett. William Joseph Coyne (born August 24 1936 was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Nick Joe Rahall II (born May 20, 1949) American politician of Lebanese descent has been a Democratic member of the United Isaac Newton "Ike" Skelton IV (born December 20 1931) has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1977. Juanita Millender-McDonald ( September 7, 1938 – April 22, 2007) was an American politician who served as a member of the Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8 1947 is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas. Millender-McDonald described Dellums as a "distinguished, principled [and] educated man. " Her tribute went on:

Congressman Ron Dellums is revered on both sides of this aisle because of his integrity and his commitment to progressive ideas. He was always on the cutting edge of the issues. California will miss him in the ninth district, but the State has been enriched by Ron Dellums. While he towers above most of us physically, this attribute is matched by his intellect, faith in the process and optimism for peaceful resolution of conflict. ^[26]

Congressman Danny Davis of Illinois described Dellums:

A creative, piercing, probing, incisive, thought-provoking, inspiring, charismatic, careful, considerate and deliberative mind. For the other persons named Danny Davis please see Danny Davis. The mind to stand up when others sit down. The mind to act when others refuse to act. The mind to stand even when you stand alone, battered, bruised and scorned, but still standing. Standing on principle, standing tall and standing for the people. ^[27]

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay described Dellums as ". Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8 1947 is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas. . . one of the most giving, open and stalwart, a real stalwart man when he was Chairman"

We are losing one of its finest Members, a Member that I have great respect for, because he always did his homework, was so articulate and eloquent on this floor. He always got my attention when he stood up and took the microphone. He would stop every Member in their tracks to hear what he had to say, and there are very few Members that have served in this body that can claim the respect that both sides of the aisle had for the gentleman from California. And the incredible reputation that the gentleman from California has brought to this House; he has elevated this House. He has elevated the distinction of this House by serving here, and this House will greatly miss him when he leaves. ^[28]

Voting record

Dellums' voting records in Congress were "almost without exception straight As" from groups such as the Sierra Club, the National Organization for Women and the AFL-CIO. Mission statement To explore enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources To educate and The National Organization for Women ( NOW) is the largest American Feminist organization American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL-CIO, is a National trade union center, the largest federation of ^[16] He received 100% on consumer group Public Citizen's scorecard. Public Citizen is a Washington DC -based public interest group engaged in Consumer Advocacy, government accountability clean democracy and ethical ^[29]

In contrast, he received an 'F' from NumbersUSA, a group dedicated to limiting immigration, and a score of seven out of a possible 100 from the League of Private Property Owners, a property rights organization. NumbersUSA is an Immigration reduction organization whose intent is to reduce the United States' annual Immigration to pre-1965 levels without country of origin quotas ^[30][31]

Oakland mayoral election

Dellums was recruited to run for Mayor of Oakland by an informal committee called "Draft Dellums," which collected 8,000 signatures and presented them to the former Congressman at a public meeting at Laney College, chanting "Run, Ron, Run". ^[32]

In October 2005, reportedly after weeks of deliberation and speculation, Dellums announced that he would run for mayor of Oakland. Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U The previous mayor, former California Governor Jerry Brown, was ineligible to run for another term, and ran (successfully) for the position of California Attorney General. Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown Jr (born April 7, 1938) is the current Attorney General and former governor of the State of In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition The other formidable candidates in the election were City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, and District 3 City Councilmember Nancy Nadel. Nancy Nadel is a member of the Oakland City Council representing the District Three Downtown-West Oakland seat Landlord and activist Arnie Fields also ran in the race as did perennial candidate Hector "Reno" Reyna.

On June 16, 2006, after nearly two weeks of ballot-counting and a dispute over whether votes for unqualified write-in candidates such as George W. Bush and Homer Simpson counted towards the total, Dellums was unofficially declared the winner in the Oakland mayoral race. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Homer Jay Simpson is a main fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and father of the eponymous family. The Alameda County Registrar of Voters said Dellums garnered a 50. 18 percent majority — 155 votes more than needed to avoid a runoff with De La Fuente. Dellums received just 41,992 votes, about 10% of the city's population. ^[33]

Mayor of Oakland

Mayor-Elect Dellums' transition to office involved 800 Oaklanders who joined 41 task forces to make recommendations on issues ranging from public safety to education and affordable housing. ^[34]

Notwithstanding the significant pay and benefits received by Mr. Dellums as a result of his congressional service, an early priority as mayor was his own compensation^[35] and staff budget^[36].

Since his election, there has been criticism of the secret nature of the task forces Dellums established, despite having repeatedly vowed to restore "transparency" to city government, and criticism of disarray among the task forces. ^[37]

Within a few months of Dellums' election, Oakland voters were already rating him poorly on key issues. On a scale of 1-10, Dellums scored a 3. 7 on improving education, a 3. 8 on crime, 4. 3 on ecomic development and a 4. 3 on providing housing. ^[38]

According to local media, Dellums "frittered" away his first year in office, making no significant policy initiatives in those areas of concern to average citizens, beyond a smoking ban at bus stops^[39]. Meanwhile, crime in the city increased dramatically, with Oakland being declared the 4th most dangerous city in the nation. Dellums resisted calls to increase the police force, claiming citizens did not want an oppressive police force, but local reporters expressed skepticism. Multiple "recall Dellums" websites have appeared. ^[40]

Elise Ackerman, a reporter for the Bay Area News Group and a resident of Oakland bought the domain recallmayordellums. com and sent an open letter to Dellums that was covered in the local press, saying to Dellums, "African Americans and Latinos live in fear in Oakland because of your lies. Middle-class residents working two jobs live in fear because of your lies. Nurses, teachers and social workers live in fear because of your lies. " Near the end of the message, she continues "You are not effective, you are not honest, you have no integrity and you should step aside. "

When faced with an irate crowd at a town hall meeting, Dellums declared "I'm giving it everything that I have. If that's not enough, that's cool. Recall me. and let me get on with my private life. "^[41]

Party affiliations

Dellums describes himself as a socialist. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution In the 1970s, Dellums was a member of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC), an offshoot of the Socialist Party of America. The Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC was founded in 1973 by the bulk of those members of the Socialist Party of America who opposed the party's takeover by the The Socialist Party of America (SPA was a socialist Political party in the United States. He later became vice-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA),^[42] which was formed by a merger between the DSOC and the New American Movement, and which works within and outside the Democratic Party. Democratic Socialists of America (DSA is a social democratic organization in the United States and the U The New American Movement (NAM was founded in 1971 by a group of leaders of Opposition to the Vietnam War to serve as a forum for discussing where and how to redirect their The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. As of 2006 Dellums is no longer a vice-chair of the DSA.

While running for mayor of Oakland, Dellums was registered as a member of the Democratic party, and has run as a Democrat in all his congressional races. Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for Citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ^[43][7]

On October 1, 2007 Dellums endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from He was named national chair of Clinton's Urban Policy Committee. ^[44]

Drug use allegations

In 1983, Dellums and his aide John Apperson were investigated for cocaine and marijuana use by the House of Representatives, based on allegations from a House doorkeeper. Cocaine ( benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is a Crystalline Tropane Alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the Coca plant Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a After eight months, the investigation closed, having found no basis for the charges. ^[45][10][46]

Support of Black Muslim Bakery

Ron Dellums was a well known supporter of Your Black Muslim Bakery, an organization accused of numerous violent acts over the years, including the August 2007 public assassination in downtown Oakland of journalist Chauncey Bailey. Your Black Muslim Bakery was a Bakery opened by Yusuf Bey in August 2007 is the eighth month of that year It began on a Wednesday and 31 days later ended on a Friday. Chauncey Wendell Bailey Jr (20 October 1949 – 2 August 2007 was an American journalist, noted for his work primarily on issues of the African-American community Dellums, even after Mr. Bailey was shot with a 12-gauge shotgun by a "handyman" at the bakery^[47] and the subsequent shutdown of the bakery following revelations of widespread protection rackets, murder, and torture by bakery members, refused to disavow a letter he sent in support of the Bakery. ^[48]

Family life

Dellums has been married three times. He married his second wife, attorney Leola "Roscoe" Higgs, in 1961. The two divorced in 1998. ^[42] He married his third wife, Cynthia Lewis, in 2000.

Dellums has three grandchildren and eight children: Sydney Ross, Dylan Ross, Olivia Dellums, professional actor Erik, Piper, Brandy, Pam, and Michael, who is currently serving a life sentence for murder. Erik Todd Dellums (born 1964 is a US Actor. He has had parts in television police dramas such as New York Undercover, Homicide Piper Dellums is an author and producer and the daughter of United States Politician Ron Dellums.

Grenada and Cuba controversies, treason allegation

In 1982 Dellums took a trip to Grenada at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the People's Revolutionary Government, Maurice Bishop. Grenada (grɪˈneɪdə is an Island nation that includes the southern Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. This is a list of heads of government of Grenada: Chief Ministers of Grenada (1954-1967 Eric Matthew Gairy (1st time ( 1954 - 1956 The People's Revolutionary Government (PRG was proclaimed on 13th March 1979 after the New Jewel Movement overthrew the government of Grenada in a revolution Maurice Rupert Bishop ( May 29, 1944 &ndash October 19, 1983) was a Grenadian Grenada was building an airstrip that U. S. administration officials claimed could be used for Soviet military aircraft. Dellums traveled to Grenada on his own fact-finding mission and described his findings before Congress:

. . . based on my personal observations, discussion and analysis of the new international airport under construction in Grenada, it is my conclusion that this project is specifically now and has always been for the purpose of economic development and is not for military use. . . . It is my thought that it is absurd, patronizing and totally unwarranted for the United States Government to charge that this airport poses a military threat to the United States’ national security. ^[49]

A U. S. Marine invasion of the island later obtained the diary of the former Grenadian defense minister. One entry in it read: "The Revo has been able to crush counter-revolution internationally. Airport will be used for Cuban and Soviet military. "^[14] Soon after the invasion, members of Dellums's staff traveled to Cuba and allegedly broadcast anti-American statements over Radio Havana. Radio Havana Cuba ( Spanish: Radio Habana Cuba, RHC) is the official government-run International broadcasting station of Cuba ^[50]

The invasion also recovered a letter from Dellums' chief of staff Carlottia Scott to Maurice Bishop, describing Dellums' feelings towards Bishop and, presumably, Cuban President of the Council of State Fidel Castro. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The President of Cuba (formally President of the Council of State of Cuba) is the Head of state of Cuba. The Council of State (Consejo de Estado of Cuba is a 31 member body of the government of Cuba elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power.

Ron [Dellums] has become truly committed to Grenada, and has some positive political thinking to share with you. . . . He’s really hooked on you and Grenada and doesn’t want anything to happen to building the Revolution and making it strong. He really admires you as a person and even more so as a leader with courage and foresight, principles and integrity. . . . The only other person that I know of that he expresses such admiration for is Fidel. ^[49]

Another document was recovered showing that Dellums had sent a draft copy of his report on Grenada to Bishop for editing before presenting his report to Congress, stating

Barbara Lee is here presently and has brought with her a report on the international airport that was done by Ron Dellums. Barbara Jean Lee (born July 16 1946) is an American politician and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives They have requested that we look at the document and suggest any changes we deem necessary. They will be willing to make the changes.

Criticisms of lobbying activities

Dellums has worked as a lobbyist, which has drawn criticism described in the East Bay Express, a local newspaper. The East Bay Express (founded 1978) is an Emeryville California -based weekly Newspaper serving the East Bay region of the ^[16] Shortly after leaving office, Dellums began consulting for an international health-care company, Healthcare Management International aimed at starting HMOs in third-world countries. "HMO" redirects here For other uses see HMO (disambiguation. Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically The move was seen as controversial by some as the company stood to profit from Dellums' continuing advocacy of aid for Africa.

Dellums also continued to work in Washington, D. C. , as a lobbyist for clients such as the East Bay Peralta Community College District and AC Transit, the organization that runs bus service in much of Dellums' old district. Lobbying includes all attempts to influence Legislators and officials whether by other legislators constituents or organized groups The East Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties The Peralta Community College District is the Community college district serving northern Alameda County California. AC Transit (in full Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District) is a regional Bus agency serving parts of Alameda County and Contra Costa County Others of his clients are more controversial:

• Dellums' firm lobbied for Rolls Royce, a company that manufactures military aircraft engines. Rolls-Royce plc ( is a British Aircraft engine maker and the second-largest in the world behind GE Aviation.
• Dellums' company lobbies for the San Francisco International Airport in its attempts to build an additional runway, which has been vigorously opposed by environmental groups. San Francisco International Airport is a major international Airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States adjacent to the
• His company has been engaged in community relations work for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: the lab generates and stores radioactive waste and has long had a contentious relationship with its residential neighbors and the city government. The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ( LBNL) is a U
• Dellums also works for Bristol-Myers Squibb, a multinational pharmaceutical corporation. Bristol-Myers Squibb ( colloquially referred to as BMS, is a Pharmaceutical Corporation, formed by a 1989 merger between pharmaceutical companies
• Dellums accepted $500,000 in payment for lobbying work for the government of the impoverished nation of Haiti in 2001–2002. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Dellums worked to support Jean-Bertrand Aristide, then President of Haiti^[51]

When running for mayor of Oakland, Dellums listed his most recent profession as "retired Congressman" in election filing forms. Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born July 15 1953 is a former Roman Catholic Priest who was President of Haiti in 1991 again from 1994 to 1996 and then ^[52] When assistant City Clerk Marjo Keller informed the Dellums campaign that this description was unacceptable, the campaign elected to leave the occupation field blank.

Progressive journalist Doug Ireland wrote a column titled "Dellums for Dollars" criticizing Dellums' lobbying, and said of Dellums, "Ron has gone bad, I'm afraid. He talks the talk, but he doesn't walk the walk anymore. "^[16]

Speaking in defense of Dellums, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson said that, if asked, Dellums would likely say "just because I'm advocating for a company that may be paying me consulting fees, I'm not selling out my beliefs. "^[16]

External links

• Dellums victory signifies a sea change in Oakland politics San Francisco Chronicle, June 19, 2006
• Mayor Ron Dellums' homepage
• Mayors Against Illegal Guns homepage
• "Angola, 1975 to 1980s — The Great Powers Poker Game," from Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II, by William Blum

See also

• United States Marine Corps Portal

References

Political offices
Preceded by Jeffery Cohelan	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 7th congressional district 1971–1975	Succeeded by George Miller
Preceded by Pete Stark	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 8th congressional district 1975–1993	Succeeded by Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by Pete Stark	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 9th congressional district 1993–1998	Succeeded by Barbara Lee
Preceded by Jerry Brown	Mayor of Oakland, California 2007–present	Succeeded by Incumbent

Jeffery Cohelan ( June 24, 1914 - February 15, 1999) was a United States Representative from California. These are tables of congressional delegations from California in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. California's 7th congressional district covers half of Contra Costa County and part of Solano County. George Miller III (born May 17 1945) is an American politician who has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives Fortney Hillman "Pete" Stark Jr (born November 11, 1931) is an American politician from the state of California. These are tables of congressional delegations from California in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. California's 8th congressional district covers most of the City and County of San Francisco, California, USA, except for the south-western parts of Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born March 26 1940 is the current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Fortney Hillman "Pete" Stark Jr (born November 11, 1931) is an American politician from the state of California. These are tables of congressional delegations from California in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. California's 9th congressional district covers a significant portion of the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. Barbara Jean Lee (born July 16 1946) is an American politician and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown Jr (born April 7, 1938) is the current Attorney General and former governor of the State of This is the list of Mayors of the city of Oakland California, which was founded in 1852

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