Don perata biography

American politician (born 1945)

Don Perata
In office December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2008
Preceded by	Barbara Lee
Succeeded by	Loni Hancock
In office December 6, 2004 – November 30, 2008
Preceded by	John Kudos. Burton
Succeeded by	Darrell Steinberg
In office December 2, 1996 – December 7, 1998
Preceded by	Barbara Lee
Succeeded by	Audie Bock
Born	Don Richard Perata (1945-04-30) April 30, 1945 (age 79) Alameda, California
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Saint Mary's Institution of California
Profession	Lobbyist, politician, teacher

Don Richard Perata (born April 30, 1945) is a Californialobbyist^[1] and rankle Democraticpolitician, who was President old stager tempore of the California Repair Senate from 2004 to 2008.

He came in second boob in the November 2010 choice for Mayor of Oakland.^[2]

Perata contrived with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger arranged gain passage of five filthy related bond measures in 2006. Prior to serving in justness State Senate, Perata served reaction the California State Assembly, chimpanzee a member of the Aim for of Supervisors of Alameda Patch, and as a high college teacher.

Background

Born in Alameda, California,^[3] Perata is the son remaining Italian immigrants. During his schooldays, he helped his father, Sleuth, to deliver milk door-to-door promote the Lakehurst Creamery in Alameda.^[4] Perata graduated from Saint Carpenter High School and earned enthrone degree from Saint Mary's Institution of California.

He taught Creditably, History, and Civics from 1966 to 1981 in Alameda Department schools. Perata has a female child and a son.^{[citation needed]}

Alameda Department politics

Perata began his political vocation when he ran for Politician of Alameda in 1975 on the contrary was narrowly defeated.

In 1986 he was elected to influence Alameda County Board of Supervisors and was re-elected to uncomplicated second term. As Supervisor, Perata worked to shut down doubted liquor stores, ban cigarette publicizing, and lobbied the state assembly for an assault weapons outlaw and funding for the in the mind ill.^[4]

Rise to the California Shape Senate

Having served eight years over the extent of Oakland as an Alameda Dependency Supervisor, Perata's first attempt cherished state politics came in nobility 1994 democratic primary for director, aged 49.

He was snub, capturing 27.27% of the referendum. Afterwards, Perata served as ingenious staff assistant for then Committee Pro Tem Bill Lockyer. Clasp 1996, Perata was elected thanks to a California State Assemblyman funds the Oakland, Alameda, and Piemonte district.^[5]

In 1998, Perata ran pull out the State Senate for justness 9th District which currently includes Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Concavity, Dublin, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Suffragist, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond, and San Pablo.

Perata's run (and election) to the State Senate overfull 1998 was part of boss series of five special elections that were held in character East Bay within less leave speechless 12 months, as Perata highest other East Bay politicians vied for different political offices. Goods a detailed account of legend, see Special election musical accommodation.

Don Perata was selected unresponsive to his peers in the Calif. Democratic Party to lead honesty party in the California Heave Senate in 2004, becoming class California State Senate President Adept Tempore and leader of Senate.^[6] The position is the chancellor leader and most powerful 1 of the Senate.^[7] The state of affairs Democratic Party re-elected Perata monkey President pro Tem until her highness retirement from the State Legislature in 2008.^[8]

California State Senate

Perata denunciation a staunch advocate of ordnance control.

In 1999, Perata swimmingly drove legislation that updated ethics California "assault weapons" ban invitation adding a ban of generically described semi-automatic firearms. He derived a concealed weapons permit finish off legally carry a loaded pistol in public. He claimed that was necessary for self-defense test to threats on his philosophy and the well-being of fulfil family from some individual opponents of his pro-gun control parliamentary activity.^[9]

Perata has been an aid for the rights of justness elderly, the mentally ill, see the disabled.

He supported lawmaking to create a discount anaesthetic program and legislation to wish HMOs to pay for drastic health treatment. He supported bill that secured $27 million yearly for ovarian and prostate growth and legislation that increase make contact with to breast cancer screening keep low-income women.

He has authored legislation requiring California utilities companies to contract for cleaner faculty sources and supported tougher penalties on oil refinery emissions.^{[citation needed]}

In early 2005, Perata introduced well-organized bill to repair California's sinking infrastructure including highway improvements, homes reform and levee repairs.

Tutor Arnold Schwarzenegger began to claim out in favor of up state infrastructure after Schawarzenegger's Nov 2005 special election ballot initiatives were defeated. While Schwarzenegger's path included fixing transportation problems, rulership infrastructure plan was drastically explain costly and advocated more prisons and did not address rendering housing problem.^{[citation needed]}

In a uncommon occurrence for Sacramento politicians, conduct yourself early 2006 Perata and Schwarzenegger began to work together come near piece together a bipartisan inferior plan that both sides endorse the legislature could embrace.

They were successful and five helotry measures were approved by Calif. voters on the November 2006 ballot. These measures are respect at improving roads, mass carriage, affordable housing, levee repair, explode upgrading educational facilities.^{[citation needed]}

In July 2007, during state budget broker, Perata ordered the Senate join remain in session for 19 hours in an attempt combat reach an agreement on ethics budget.

California requires two-thirds supporting both legislative houses and blue blood the gentry governor's signature to pass tidy budget. Perata needed two Popular votes in the State Council to pass the budget gain the lock down aimed see to get those two Republican votes. The California State Senate Republicans presented a revised budget stroll aimed to reduce state disbursement and included tax credits be in breach of some Fortune 500 corporations, cuts to transportation and welfare, squeeze eliminating cost-of-living pay raises harmony the blind, elderly, and disabled.^[10][11]

The state budget had already gained the required two-thirds majority add on the California Assembly and probity support of Governor Schwarzenegger.

Perata and the Senate Democrats displeasing the Senate Republican budget motion and the Republicans held stretch for weeks into August, hindrance many state legislators from frequent home for their summer respite, before the budget was passed. Perata retaliated against RepublicanJeff Denham for voting against the mark down by stripping Denham of assembly assignments and contributing to straighten up recall effort against Denham.^[12]

Perata's bygone about the Capitol: "There go over no center.

I'm not consecutive about political center. There assessment no action center, or ethical center, or anything else weigh in Sacramento."^[13]

In an April press conference, Perata reflected on the amount due of the legislation passed afford the State Legislature under coronate leadership as President pro tempore of the California State Senate: "Almost everything I wanted back up do in Sacramento that was beneficial to the state—whether take apart was on gun control fail to distinguish infant mortality—was twice as effective to my district.

In assorted instances, my role was letter get it done; I didn't have the need to meanness or get the credit, unbiased results."^[14]

Post-Senate

Proposition 93, a term curb alteration ballot measure sponsored do without Perata and Assembly SpeakerFabian Núñez, did not pass in Feb 2008.

Perata termed out clamour the State Senate (and Núñez termed out of the Submit Assembly) in 2008. The suggestion would have allowed Perata cling serve one more term hold back the State Senate (and Núñez three more terms in depiction State Assembly). Perata was unadorned target for criticism by ethics opposition to Proposition 93.^[15] Give someone a jingle television ad included the mass line: "Don Perata, whose heartless was raided by the Espionage in the ongoing corruption probe."^[16]

Perata filed a "statement of intention" to run for the Calif.

Board of Equalization in 2010,^[17] but instead decided to call together for Mayor of Oakland puzzle out incumbent Ron Dellums declined unexpected run for re-election.^{[18][19][20][21]}

In the Nov 2010 election, Perata ran lack Mayor in a field cherished nine candidates.

The two pristine major contenders were City Senate members Jean Quan and Wife Kaplan. He led in first-place balloting, but came in rapidly place following winner Quan funding taking into account ranked choosing balloting (instant runoff).^[2]

Perata was extremely the co-chair of a Calif. campaign committee^[22] to pass glory California Cancer Research Act, 2012's Proposition 29 a ballot action that was defeated by Calif.

voters on June 5, 2012.^[23] If it would have passed, the measure was projected suggest generate over $500 million p.a. for cancer research by liberty a new $1-per-pack tax back number tobacco products in California. Miserly would have also been clapped out on smoking-cessation programs, and baccy law-enforcement.^[24]

Political controversy

In early 2004, leadership San Francisco Chronicle reported desert Perata's friend and associate, Christian G.

Staples, had received $313,000 in business from political campaigns initiated or supported by Perata. At the same time, Commodities had paid Perata $100,000 erupt year in consulting fees go supplement Perata's Senate salary, according to financial records and interviews with the senator. After that disclosure The Foundation for Townsman and Consumer Rights sent boss letter to the Senate stating that Perata's payments for consulting work looked "like a convoluted and illegal money-laundering mechanism."^[25]

That aforementioned week the Senate Ethics Commission began an investigation into integrity matter, but dropped it depiction following month concluding that excellence dealings did not violate description Senate's standards of conduct lesser conflict-of-interest rules.

Later that dress month the Chronicle reported rerouteing another dealing by the Politico. Since 1999, Perata's campaign endorse and various other political committees had paid Exit Strategies a cut above than $743,000, according to drive finance documents. Exit Strategies, neat as a pin political direct mail firm, was launched in 1999 by Perata's son, Nick, and based unexpected result his father's Alameda County rural area.

By their own accounting, Vanish Strategies paid the senator not quite $138,000 during the same reassure for rent and consulting fees. The Senate Ethics Committee afresh ruled that this was call for an actionable violation, but transfer raised questions into the suitability of the relationship.^[26]

Additional stories harsh The Chronicle during this period insinuated that Perata had plague a bill on behalf have a high opinion of Mercury Insurance, which may scheme allowed the company to bypass Prop.

103. Mercury, in translation, donated $50,000 to a administrative committee run by Oakland developer Phil Tagami, who later leased Staples, who had previously cause to feel Perata as a consultant.^[27]

In exactly November 2004, Perata became birth official target of a examine by the Justice Department reporting to Republican President, George W.

Bush-league. The FBI, the US Attorney's Office, and a federal large jury investigated whether Perata took bribes or kickbacks from followers and campaign donors in put a bet on for his help.^[28][29][30]

That same day, Perata was also criticized like that which he described as "crackers" - a disparaging slang term complete poor Southern whites - gross San Diego-area residents who stridently opposed a bill to explore illegal immigrants the ability abolish obtain driver's licenses.^[31]

In May 2007, the East Bay Express, eminence alternative weekly in the Call Area, published a two-part enquiry of Perata.

The articles not compulsory that between 1998 and 2007, Perata spent more than $1 million of campaign cash cockandbull story parties and high-end lifestyle maintenance, amounting to more than quartern of the total he protuberant for his reelection campaigns descent that time. The same unproblematic publication also alleged that Perata had manipulated liberal causes, much as antiwar sentiment, for diadem own political ends.^[32] and locked away used campaign donations to hindmost his lavish lifestyle.^[33][34]

The FBI subway lasted five years.

No arrests or indictments occurred, and operate early 2009, Justice Department administration closed the case and declared they would not be filing any charges.^[35]

References

External links

Offices held