[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12043-H12046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING AND HONORING MAYOR JOE SERNA, JR., AND EXPRESSING
CONDOLENCES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO HIS FAMILY AND PEOPLE OF
SACRAMENTO
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 363) recognizing and honoring Sacramento,
California, Mayor Joe Serna, Jr., and expressing the condolences of the
House of Representatives to his family and the people of Sacramento on
his death.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 363
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., was born in Stockton, California,
on September 3, 1939;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., was the loving husband of Isabelle
Hernandez-Serna and devoted father of Phillip and Lisa;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., was the son of Gerania and Jose
Serna and the brother of Maria Elena Serna, Reuben Serna, and
Jesse Serna;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., grew up the son of an immigrant
farm worker, and was widely recognized as ambitious with an
irrepressible drive to succeed;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., experienced a pivotal point in his
life when he became a successful football player on the Lodi
Flames as a sophomore qualifying to play on the varsity
squad;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., graduated from Lodi High School and
went to work, where he later lost his job because he endorsed
a
[[Page H12044]]
strike at the trailer manufacturing facility where he was
employed, and decided to further his education, beginning at
junior college in Stockton, California, then transferring to
Sacramento City College and finally to California State
University, Sacramento, where he graduated in 1966;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., joined the Peace Corps in
Guatemala, where he became involved in the election of a
Mayan Indian as mayor of a small town, providing him with a
first-hand education regarding the importance of electoral
politics;
Whereas Joe Serna Jr., spent more than a decade working
with migrant farm workers under the guidance of his role
model, Cesar Chavez, and organized food workers and
coordinated election campaigns;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., began teaching classes on
government and ethics at California State University,
Sacramento, and became the primary caregiver for his children
when his first marriage ended;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., was elected to the Sacramento City
Council on November 3, 1981, where he served until he was
elected mayor on November 3, 1992;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., was known as an elected official
with profound vision for the future and the energy to
implement that vision, who could build coalitions, ignite
community involvement, and succeed in achieving his goals;
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., leaves a legacy in Sacramento of
downtown revitalization and growth, more parks and places for
Sacramentans to gather and enjoy their families and
neighbors, a better public school system, more jobs, more
community police, and a higher quality of life; and
Whereas Joe Serna, Jr., faced many challenges in his life,
and eventually succumbed to his greatest challenge, the fight
against cancer: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. HONORING MAYOR JOE SERNA, JR.
The House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes and honors Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna, Jr.--
(A) as a profoundly successful leader whose drive and
energy inspired thousands,
(B) for his many lifetime contributions to Sacramento, the
State of California, and the Nation, and
(C) for selflessly devoting his life to the advancement of
others through activism, public service, education, and
dedication; and
(2) extends the deepest condolences to Mayor Joe Serna's
wife, Isabelle, his son, Phillip, and his daughter, Lisa, as
well the citizens of Sacramento, California, for the loss of
their dedicated mayor.
SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF ENROLLED COPY TO THE FAMILY OF MAYOR
JOE SERNA, JR.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit an
enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of Joe Serna,
Jr.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Ose) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose).
General Leave
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on H. Res. 363.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 363. This resolution honors
the recently departed Mayor Joe Serna, a good friend of many of us in
this chamber.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna, Jr., was the oldest of four
children in a farm-worker family. All four children worked with their
parents picking crops and all four went on to careers in public
service.
{time} 1700
Joe Serna went from picking grapes and tomatoes as a youngster to
becoming the first Latino mayor of a major California city. A follower
of the late farm labor leader Cesar Chavez, Serna served on the
Sacramento-area support committee for the United Farm Workers and was a
former member of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. In his youth, he
served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala as a community development
volunteer specializing in cooperatives and credit unions. He became a
professor of government at Cal State in Sacramento where he earned the
distinguished faculty award in 1991.
Dubbed the ``activist mayor,'' Joe Serna is credited with
revitalizing Sacramento's downtown and reforming the Sacramento city
unified school district. Under Serna's leadership, the Sacramento City
Council agreed to public-private partnerships to entice developers to
build in downtown Sacramento. Serna commissioned a blue-ribbon group to
analyze the underperforming school district, then recruited a reform
slate of school board candidates.
That slate won and has contributed to the improvements in
Sacramento's school district. In 1996, Serna is quoted as saying, my
biggest ambition is to be the best mayor I can be so that the next
ethnic person who comes along, the next African-American kid or
Mexican-American kid who wants to be a mayor can become the mayor, and
it won't be a big deal. Joe Serna has left a legacy that certainly
makes that true. My condolences and sympathies go out to the Joe Serna
family and friends and the hundreds of lives he touched as the mayor of
Sacramento.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to allow my good friend, the
gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui), to control the remainder of the
time on our side.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I think it would be appropriate if I were to
reserve the balance of my time and allow the senior member, the
gentleman from Sacramento, to speak.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I
would first like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) for
actually yielding time to me before he makes his remarks, and certainly
I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), the chair of
the committee, certainly the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman),
the ranking member and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for
putting this matter on the floor at this particular time.
Before I begin my remarks, I would like to mention that the gentleman
from California (Mr. Ose), the gentleman from California (Mr.
Doolittle), and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard)
have cosponsored this legislation. We certainly appreciate the
bipartisan effort on putting this on the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in great sadness to pay tribute to a very
distinguished leader, to one of the most outstanding public servants
that I have known and to a true friend. On Sunday, November 7, the
mayor of Sacramento, Joe Serna, lost his courageous battle with kidney
cancer. As the Sacramento community mourns his loss, I ask all my
colleagues to join with me in saluting his career and his efforts as
one of the most extraordinary persons that I have ever known.
Joe was only 60 years old when he passed on that November day. Joe
was the son of immigrant farm workers from whom he learned the values
and work ethics that exemplified his career. His sister said during the
rosary service last week that when his mother brought Joe home, she put
him in a crate because they could not afford a crib. From that kind of
beginning, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in social science in
government from Sacramento State College in 1966, and he received a
higher degree at the University of California at Davis in political
science.
Always wanting to serve others, he entered, as the gentleman from
Maryland said, the Peace Corps and worked in Guatemala as a community
development coordinator and volunteer specializing in cooperatives and
credit unions. Upon his return, he continued his service to others by
becoming a teacher. He joined the faculty at Cal State University
Sacramento; and in 1969, became a full professor in government. The
energy he brought to life was transferred to his students in the
classroom; and in 1991, he received the distinguished faculty award at
Cal State University.
Continuing his calling in public service, he was elected to the
Sacramento City Council in 1981, reelected in 1985, and again in 1989.
In 1992, he was elected mayor of Sacramento and was reelected by huge
margins in 1996. He leaves a proud legacy of leadership and
accomplishments. Most significantly, he worked throughout his career to
revitalize Sacramento's downtown. He
[[Page H12045]]
initiated the Sacramento Downtown Partnership Association, the Art in
Public Places program, and the Thursday Night Market, all of which have
made the downtown area a thriving gathering place for all
Sacramentoans.
As a result, in 1995 the mayor received the Economic Development
Leadership Award from the National Council for Urban Economic
Development. But his legacy was most proud in the area of public
education. As the gentleman from Maryland had said earlier, in response
to the erosion of our community's education system, Mayor Serna
established the Mayor's Commission on Education and the City's Future,
a coalition of business and civic leaders.
The Mayor's Commission successfully led the recall of members of the
board of trustees of the Sacramento City Unified School District and
elected a new board. I am pleased to say that the achievement results
since that time of our high school, middle school, and grammar school
children have increased, which indicates that his efforts were not in
vain but will help future generations of children in Sacramento.
His education drive was one of many challenges that are identified
under his leadership. For example, when the National Basketball
Association Sacramento Kings threatened to leave Sacramento, he began
negotiating with the Kings organization, members of the city council
and community leaders to forge a role in keeping that basketball
franchise in our community, not so much for the purpose of having a
major sports franchise but because he knew that having a major sports
franchise would create an enthusiasm in the community and bring all
segments of our community together.
When our military base closed, the Sacramento Army Depot and had
3,000 employees, Joe rather than curse the darkness, he lit a candle.
He immediately sought businesses down in Los Angeles and actually
brought up a high-tech industry and business that created 6,000 jobs
for many people who were then on public assistance programs and now are
gainfully employed.
Over the past three decades, he served on numerous commissions, too
many for me to mention today. But just as an example of his diverse
leadership, he was co-trustee of the Crocker Art Museum. He was a
member of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission. He was
on the Board of the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency, the
Metropolitan Cable Television Commission, and the Air Quality Board of
Sacramento County.
But beyond his accomplishments, he was known simply as an elected
official with a profound vision for the future and an energy to
implement that vision. He knew how to build coalitions, ignite
community involvement, and succeeded almost always in achieving his
goals. Because of this vision, he leaves a proud legacy in Sacramento's
downtown redevelopment area of growth, a stronger public school system,
more jobs, more community police and certainly a higher quality of
life.
His parting has left a major void for all of us in Sacramento County,
people of all walks of life. Four thousand people attended his service
last week, people in business suits, and people that were dressed as
ordinary citizens. I wish to extend on behalf of this institution our
deepest sincerity and heartfelt wishes to Mayor Serna's wife Isabelle,
his son Phillip and daughter Lisa and his mother Gerania. I, along with
the City of Sacramento and the people of California, mourn with them.
Mr. Speaker, the City of Sacramento has suffered tremendously from
the loss of one of our most distinguished and visionary leaders as well
as one of our best citizens. We will all miss him very much.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I
rise today to echo the remarks of my friend from Sacramento. It is
interesting to note that as you go through life, you meet certain
individuals whose personalities or their achievements or their vibrancy
stay with you.
Of all the things that Mayor Serna accomplished during his many years
of service, perhaps the most lasting will be his legacy as a teacher.
He was a professor of political science at Sacramento State University.
I cannot tell you how many young people I have run into who, with a
Cheshire smile on their face, remember their long debates in class with
Mayor Serna about this or that issue and how much they took away from
that time.
As a young man, I came back from school and Mayor Serna, then a city
councilman, had been recently elected to the city council. While we
were not of the particularly same political persuasion on many things,
he came one day to the city council meeting, he saw me sitting in the
back of the hall. During a break he came back, put his hand on my
shoulder and said, just like a normal person, which he was, are you
doing all right? I said, yes, I am, and thank you for asking. At that,
he went on about his way.
That was Joe Serna. The ability just to reach out, put his hand on
your shoulder, regardless of where you came from. He did not care. He
just wanted to know whether he could help. Again, of all the lessons
that I take from my acquaintance and friendship with Joe Serna, it is
that we are all teachers. Some are further along the curve than others.
For some, maybe the curve has ended as it has with Joe. But for the
rest of my days, I will remember Joe Serna as a teacher.
Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 363, a
resolution honoring the late Joe Serna, Jr., Mayor of Sacramento,
California, and to express my deep sympathies to his wife, Isabel, and
his children, Philip and Lisa.
Mayor Serna was the embodiment of the American dream. He rose from
his roots as a farmworker in the 1960's to become the first Latino
mayor of California's capitol city. He often told how his parents, poor
Mexican immigrants who worked the fields, brought him home from the
hospital in a cardboard box.
Joe Serna eventually left those fields to pursue a life of public
service but no matter how high he rose in public office, he never
forgot his roots. A loyal member of the United Farm Workers Union, Joe
organized one of the state's first food caravans to feed striking grape
pickers. Union President Arturo Rodriquez described Joe best when he
said: ``He continued in every way he could to fight for the low-income
(people), for the farmworkers, for the people that, for whatever
reasons, were not being provided the respect and dignity they
deserved.''
For over 20 years, Mayor Serna helped lead the great City of
Sacramento. He served as a member of the City Council from 1975 to 1992
and was elected Mayor in 1992. It was a Mayor that his many
accomplishments proved him a true leader.
He may best be remembered for his leadership of a movement to reform
the city's public schools. Dissatisfied with the leadership of the
school board, he led a movement to recall many of its members and to
establish a program of reform that focused on upgrading the schools
with a $191 million school bond.
His creative leadership did not stop there. Determined to
reinvigorate downtown Sacramento, he established the City's
Neighborhood Services Department, which consolidates city services to
support and enhance programs for healthy, thriving neighborhoods. He
also appointed the city's first Council of Economic Advisors to help
frame the city's economic agenda and founded the Mayor's Summer Reading
Camp, a literacy program for underprivileged students.
Joe Serna was, first and foremost, a god and decent man who wanted
nothing more than to represent the people of Sacramento to the best of
his abilities. His close friend and political advisor, Richie Ross,
said of him: ``He was never thought of in Sacramento as anything other
than Mayor Joe, everybody's mayor.''
Today, the House of Representatives joins the Serna family and the
people of Sacramento in sharing their grief over the loss of Mayor Joe
Serna, a distinguished American who will be remembered forever.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, November 7 the Mayor of
Sacramento, and my good friend Joe Serna, lost his courageous battle
with kidney cancer.
Joe grew up the son of an immigrant farm worker, where he was taught
the honorable values and hard work ethic that exemplified his career.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in social science/government from
Sacramento State College in 1966 and attended graduate school at UC,
Davis, majoring in political science.
Always wanting to serve others, in 1966 Mayor Serna entered the Peace
Corps, working in Guatemala as a Community Development volunteer
specializing in cooperatives and credit unions. Upon his return to the
States, he continued his service by pursuing one of the most noble of
all professiions--he
[[Page H12046]]
became a teacher. He joined the faculty at CSU, Sacramento, in 1969
becoming a professor of Government. Of course the energy he brought to
life was readily transferred to his students in the classroom, and in
1991 he received the Distinguished Faculty Award.
Continuing his lifelong calling to public service, Joe Serna was
first elected to the Sacramento City Council in 1981 and reelected in
1985 and 1989. He was then elected mayor of Sacramento in 1992 and
again in 1996.
As Mayor, Joe Serna left a proud legacy of leadership and
accomplishments. He worked throughout his career to revitalize
Sacramento's downtown which included initiating the Sacramento Downtown
Partnership Association, the ``Art in Public Places'' program, and the
Thursday Night Market. In 1995, Mayor Serna was selected by the
National Council of Urban Economic Development to receive their annual
Economic Development Leadership Award.
He also established the Mayor's Commission on Our Children's Health
and the Mayor's Commission on Education and the City's Future, which
led to a new Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Trustees.
As part of his active role in improving the Sacramento City School
District, he founded the Mayor's Summer Reading Camp, a literacy
program for below average scoring second and third grade students.
Over the past three decades Mayor Serna was a member of numerous
organizations including the Regional Transit Board of Directors and the
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission. He was the Co-trustee
of the Crocker Art Museum Association and an Advisory Board Member of
Senior Gleaners, Inc. He was a former Chair of the Sacramento City/
County Sports Commission, member of the Board of the Sacramento
Employment and Training Agency, member of the Sacramento Metropolitan
Cable Television Commission and Sacramento Air Quality Management
Board. From 1970 to 1975, Joe Serna was the Director of the United
Farmworkers of America's Support Committee in Sacramento County. Mayor
Serna also served as a two-time presidential appointed member of the
Board of Directors of ``Freddie Mac.''
Mayor Serna was known as an elected official with profound vision for
the future and the energy to implement that vision. He knew how to
build coalitions, ignite community involvement, and succeed in
achieving his goals. Because of this vision, he leaves a proud legacy
in Sacramento of downtown revitalization and growth, a stronger public
school system, more jobs, more community police, and a higher quality
of life.
What made Mayor Serna such a remarkable leader was his ability and
willingness to listen to the community and make himself available to
all voices that wanted to be heard. In an era when following the
politically expedient route is commonplace, Mayor Serna was never
afraid to fight for what he believed in if he knew it was the right
thing to do. He never compromised his values and always brought a sense
of honor and dignity to the Sacramento community.
On behalf of my family and my constituents, I offer my condolences to
Joe's wife Isabel, his son Philip and his daughter Lisa.
[From the San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 8, 1999]
Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna Jr., who rose from his roots as
a farmworker to become Sacramento's first Latino mayor in
modern history, died yesterday of kidney cancer and
complications from diabetes.
Serna, 60 had briefly slipped into a diabetic coma
Wednesday and asked to return home from the hospital Friday.
He died at 3:47 a.m. surrounded by his family, said Chuck
Dalldorf, a spokesman for the mayor.
Serna was a city councilman for 18 years and became mayor
in 1992. He may best be remembered for helping reinvigorate
downtown Sacramento and reforming his city's public schools
by campaigning on behalf of new school leadership and a $191
million school bond.
``Joe led a movement to recall a large number of school
board members, elect a reform slate, adopt a reform program
and upgrade standards,'' said Phil Isenberg, a former
Sacramento mayor and state assemblyman.
Serna was a loyal friend of the late Cesar Chavez, and the
United Farm Workers Union since the 1960s, when he organized
one of the state's first food caravans to feed striking grape
pickers.
``He continued in every way he could to fight for the low-
income (people), for the farmworkers, for the people that,
for whatever reasons, were not being provided the respect and
dignity they deserved,'' said United Farm Workers Union
President Arturo S. Rodriguez.
Serna also transcended ethnic politics, according to close
friend and political adviser Richie Ross.
``He was never thought of in Sacramento as anything other
than Mayor Joe, everybody's mayor,'' said Ross.
BORN IN STOCKTON
Serna was born in Stockton and used to tell how his
parents, poor Mexican immigrants who worked the fields,
brought him home from the hospital in a cardboard box. He
grew up in Lodi, picking grapes and tomatoes as a youngster
to help support his family.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Sacramento State
University, and attended graduate school at the University of
California at Davis. He served in the Peace Corps in
Guatemala as a community development volunteer specializing
in cooperatives and credit unions.
Serna dubbed himself an ``activist'' who hoped to ``be the
best mayor I can be so that the next ethnic person who . . .
wants to be mayor can become the mayor, and it won't be a big
deal.''
STRONG LEGACY
``Joe was a true giant in the Latino community, and a
visionary leader for all of Sacramento,'' said Lt. Gov. Cruz
Bustamante in a statement. ``He leaves a great legacy of
public service, whether he was standing in the fields
fighting for farmworker rights or visiting the White House
advocating for the city he so dearly loved.''
Serna served on the Sacramento-area support committee for
the United Farm Workers, and was a former member of the
Sacramento Central Labor Council.
He also served on an array of municipal bodies, including
the Sacramento Regional Transit board of directors, the
Employment and Training Agency, the Metropolitan Cable
Television Commission, and the Air Quality Management Board.
Serna and his wife Isabel have two grown children, Philip
and Lisa. The family lived in Sacramento's Curtis Park
neighborhood.
The mayor announced to the public in June he would not seek
a third term because of his deteriorating health.
Since Serna died with more than a year left in his term--a
year and a day to be exact--a special election will be held
to determine a successor.
Serna's supporters expect a large turnout Wednesday,
particularly from among farmworkers, for a funeral march from
Cesar Chavez Plaza across from Sacramento City Hall to the
Cathedral for the Blessed Sacrament. Serna's family requested
that all donations be directed to the UFW union.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus and as a fellow Californian, I rise in strong support
of House Resolution 363, honoring the life of Joe Serna, Jr. I commend
my colleague, Representative Bob Matsui, for sponsoring this important
resolution.
I want to express my deepest sympathies to Joe Serna's family and the
residents of the City of Sacramento for his passing.
Mayor Serna's death is mourned not only by his family, friends, and
the residents of Sacramento, which he so proudly represented, but also
by countless individuals for whom he served as a role model by setting
an example of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and
determination to better not only one's own life, but the lives of
others.
Joe Serna grew up in Northern California, the son of Mexican
immigrant farm workers. Serna worked his way through junior college to
become a college teacher, as well as a passionate activist who spent
more than a decade working with migrant farm workers under the guidance
of his role model, Cesar Chavez.
In 1981, Serna, was elected to the Sacramento City Council where he
served until 1992, when he was elected as the first Latino Mayor of
Sacramento.
During his tenure as Mayor, Serna developed a reputation as a leader
who stood up for the things he believed in, such as quality job
opportunities, strong families, good schools, and empowering the
communities and people he represented. The City of Sacramento and its
residents have truly benefited and will continue to benefit from Joe
Serna's vision and leadership.
Joe Serna was a great leader and a great man and he will be truly
missed.
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barr of Georgia). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution
363.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________