[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 153 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO MAYOR TONY INTINTOLI

                                 ______


                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 27, 1995

  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the Honorable Anthony J. Intintoli, Jr., mayor of the city of Vallejo, 
CA. On December 5, 1995, Mayor Intintoli will have completed 8 years of 
public service as mayor of the city of Vallejo.
  I have had the good fortune of representing the cities of Vallejo and 
Benicia in the Seventh Congressional District since 1993, which was 
when I met Tony Intintoli. Right after I started representing Vallejo, 
the Base Realignment and Conversion Commission put the Mare Island 
Naval Shipyard on the closure list, which was a major economic blow to 
our community as Mare Island Naval Shipyard has been the cornerstone of 
the Vallejo community for 147 years. On the heels of this devastating 
news of closure in 1996, Mayor Intintoli immediately put together a 
team of community, political, and military leaders which very 
forcefully and eloquently fought the closure. When that effort did not 
succeed, the mayor immediately transformed the focus of the group to 
future conversion of the base. He skillfully brought together the 
community to adopt a closure plan in record time, and convinced the 
city council to hire the Urban Land Institute to provide a future 
blueprint for the city. Vallejo was the first base-closure community to 
address the myriad of social impacts from a closure and has just 
completed a ``Blueprint for Action--A Community Responds to the Closure 
of Mare Island Naval Shipyard''.

  Mayor Intintoli has effectively lobbied State and Federal legislators 
for conversion assistance, and has worked tirelessly with the 
Department of Defense to obtain the most favorable lease conditions for 
the city and the shipyard. The city has been successful in bringing the 
first civilian tenants to Mare Island--before closure--and providing 
the first jobs that will lead to the economic revitalization of Vallejo 
and the region.
  During his tenure as mayor, the doors of the Vallejo City Hall were 
always open and residents felt they were part of the process. The 
makeup of city commissions became more balanced and reflective of the 
diverse ethnic makeup of the entire community. Mayor Intintoli improved 
the dialog between city hall and neighborhood organizations and focused 
on community concerns. His style of leadership was to work with and 
build consensus with constituents and his colleagues on the council.
  During his two terms as mayor from 1987-95, the city focused on 
substance abuse prevention and was awarded a $3.2 million grant from 
the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation to implement a comprehensive 
program to address the issue. This was the first time representatives 
from the entire city worked in a collaborative effort to address a 
problem that affects every individual and family. The Fighting Back 
Program has received numerous awards for its innovative efforts which 
can be credited to Mayor Intintoli's support and encouragement.
  I am proud to call Mayor Tony Intintoli my friend and wish him all 
the best in his early retirement. I know this is the start of a 
beautiful friendship.

                          ____________________