[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 28, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN TRIBUTE TO MIKE ROTKIN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2001

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a public 
servant of the highest order, a man who has given over two decades of 
his life to the community. Mr. Speaker, Mike Rotkin of Santa Cruz, 
California, has recently celebrated the milestone of twenty-one years 
of public service, a most commendable celebration.
  After living in Santa Cruz since 1969, when he came as a graduate 
student to the University of California, Mr. Rotkin decided to put his 
activism into action. He began his civic life in 1977, when he was 
first elected to the Santa Cruz City Council. Since that time, he has 
served on various city commissions, including his time as Chairperson 
for the Metropolitan Transit Commission. Mike was elected Mayor of 
Santa Cruz in 1981, and has served two other terms as Mayor since then.
  Mr. Rotkin's service extends beyond the role of politician. An active 
voice in the community, he regularly addresses city and national issues 
in letters to our local newspapers, and by enmeshing himself in a 
myriad of causes. His commitment to the community is demonstrated by 
his position as a Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, 
where he teaches and advises students on taking an active role in both 
the local and international realms. Indeed, many of his students have 
interned in my offices.
  In a time when a lifelong career in public service is looked down 
upon, and activism and interest in government is declining, it is 
refreshing to see individuals like Mike Rotkin. I applaud his efforts 
over the past twenty-one years to work with and for the people of Santa 
Cruz, and I join his colleagues in thanking him for his tireless 
efforts.

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