[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1204-E1205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A TRIBUTE TO MAYOR ELIHU HARRIS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 23, 1998

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, Mayor Elihu Harris of Oakland has served the 
public for twenty-

[[Page E1205]]

one years as an elected official at both the state and municipal 
levels. For thirteen years, Mr. Harris served as a California State 
Assemblyman; over the course of his tenure, he served as Chairman of 
the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the Jurisdictional Committee, 
and sponsored many pieces of legislation that have had a direct impact 
on the City of Oakland and its citizens.
  For the past eight years, Mr. Harris has served as the Mayor of the 
City of Oakland, leading the drive to rebuild and strengthen our great 
City. In the wake of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1991 
Oakland Hills firestorm--two of the most devastating events in recent 
city history--among other significant challenges, Harris has provided 
invaluable leadership and vision, and levied resources to support 
redevelopment, growth, and community in Oakland.
  The Mayor's campaign to renew the City of Oakland has proved highly 
successful: in 1993, Oakland was designated an All American City by the 
National Civic League, and Money Magazine has ranked Oakland as one of 
the top places to live for two consecutive years. Under Harris' watch, 
crime rates and unemployment have dropped, and the City has experienced 
a tremendous influx of new business, construction, and jobs.
  Equally important is Mr. Harris' record as the People's Champion. 
Throughout his term, Mayor Harris has worked closely with Oakland's 
citizens to create new and innovative ways to address important 
community issues. By providing strong leadership in an atmosphere of 
inclusiveness, Mr. Harris has mobilized people to believe that they can 
and will make a difference. A true Citizen-Mayor, Elihu Harris is 
especially passionate about children and about education: while serving 
as Oakland's mayor, he launched several important endeavors to support 
education, among them Camp Read-A-Lot and Project 2000, Ready to Learn.
  On June 26, 1998, Mayor Harris will receive an Achievement Award from 
the Oakland East Bay Democratic Club. The 9th District joins the 
Oakland East Bay Democratic Club in honoring Mayor Elihu Harris for his 
years of dedicated service to our community.

                          ____________________