Gus Newport

Gus Newport

Eugene (Gus) Newport is the former Mayor of Berkeley, California. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism.

Bay Area supports Siegel

Mike Siegel is coming to town on June 15 2019 for an event to build support for his congressional campaign in the Texas 10th Congressional District.

The event for Siegel, an Oakland native, is hosted by Guy Saperstein and Jeanine Saperstein, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, former Berkeley Mayor Gus Newport and actor and activist Danny Glover.

Siegel’s father, Dan Siegel, is an Oakland civil rights attorney and former Oakland School Board member who ran for mayor in 2014.

A progressive Democrat, Siegel has spent 20 years in public service as a school teacher and civil rights lawyer. In 2018, as the Democratic nominee in TX-10, Siegel garnered national publicity when he successfully pushed Waller County to reverse vote suppression policies that threatened the voting rights of students at Prairie View A&M, an HBCU.

Other Bay Area supporters of Mike Siegel include Sen. Loni Hancock (ret.), Anne Butterfield Weills , Dan Siegel, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), Paul Kranz, Sal Rosselli, Gay Plair Cobb, Walter Riley, Marc van der Hout and Jody LeWitter.

“I am grateful for the broad base of support we have received in our campaign to flip this seat. Through the 2018 election I narrowed the Republican incumbent’s advantage from 19 percent to 4 percent, running on a progressive platform including demands for universal healthcare, just taxation, an end to the War on Drugs, and a Green New Deal. Now, the Texas 10th is a national battleground district, and I am running again to finish the job.”

Communist support

Democratic Socialists of America member and socialist historian Paul Buhle, wrote in a 1992 article for the Encyclopedia of the American Left;

Communists also gained from long-standing political contacts in the black community. Victories of black mayoral and congressional candidates with decades — old ties to the CP — a short list would include Coleman Young and George Crocket in Detroit, Gus Newport in Berkeley, and somewhat more ambiguously, Harold Washington in Chicago.''

World Peace Council

In 1970 U.S. members of the Soviet front World Peace Council were;

• Saundra Graham
• James Jackson - Communist Party USA member
• Maryann Mahaffey
• Michael Myerson - Communist Party USA member
• Mark Solomon
• Gus Newport - a World Peace Council Vice President

Institute for Policy Studies connections

Gus Newport, Mayor of Berkeley, was listedamong those participating in the Institute for Policy Studies affiliated Conference on Alternative State and Local Policies {CASLP} Bryn Mawr August 3-5 1979.

1980s U.S. Peace Council leaders

The five U.S. Peace Council Co-Chairpersons 1983-1985 were;

Rep. Saundra Graham, Massachusetts State Legislature

Gus Newport, Mayor of Berkeley, CA

Frank Rosen, President, District 11, United Electrical Workers Union

Mark Solomon, Professor, Simmons College, Boston, MA

Sara Staggs, Executive Director, Chicago Peace Council

"SURVIVALFEST 84"

SURVIVAL FEST 84 was held August 5 1984 in MacArthur Park.

"Come To Hear And Strategize With Those Changing The 1980's"

• How can we support each other in electing progressive local candidates?
• How can we make electoral work serve the grassroots movements for a freeze, for U.S. out of Central America and human needs?
• How can we over turn the racist dual primary system in the South?
• Is working inside and outside the Democratic Party a viable strategy and how can it be done?
• How can we formulate demands to revitalize our basic industries without falling into the pitfall of the chauvinist anti-import solution -- letting U.S. finance capital off the hook?

This event was organized by the Communist Workers Party front, the Coalition for a People's Convention. The event was advertised in a half-page notice in the Marxist weekly Guardian, their Book Supplement - Summer 1984, p. 12, and the Communist Workers Party and Federation For Progress were listed as participants.

Bay Area endorsers of the event included:

• Supervisor Harry Britt - San Francisco
• Ron Dellums - Member of Congress
• Ignacio De La Fuente - Business Representative, Molders Union Local 164 Oakland
• Barbara Lubin - Berkeley Board of Education, Marxist and leader of an anti-Israel organization
• Mayor Gus Newport
• Dan Siegel - Executive Committee, Federation For Progress
• Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver - San Francisco
• Bill Wahpepah - International Indian Treaty Council

Frontline Anniversary events

Supplement Frontline June 1988

In 1988 Line of March celebrated the 4th Anniversay of their newspaper Frontline with a series of events around the country. Boston dinner speakers were Gus Newport and Ann Schwartz, Washington DC speakers were Irwin Silber and Hilda Mason. In Chicago it was Danny Davis and Fran Beal.

SWP event

A celebration of their publication of "Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution: Writings and Speeches of Ernesto Che Guevara" was to be held on Sunday, December 6, 1987 in Manhattan, New York City, sponsored by the Socialist Workers Party run Pathfinder Bookstore, 79 Leonard Street, NYC, NY. Speakers for the event were listed as:

• David Deutschmann - book editor
• Gus Newport - former mayor of Berkeley, Cal.
• Roger Green - NY State Assemblyman, NY State Assembly
• Teresa Walsh - Venceremos Brigade
• Ray Santiago - Secretary-Treasurer, FLOC Farm Labor Organizing Committee
• representatives of SWAPO and ANC

CoC National Conference endorser

In 1992 Gus Newport, former mayor of Berkeley, endorsed the Committees of Correspondence national conference Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s held at Berkeley California July 17-19.

CoC National Coordinating Committee

The following are listed in order of votes they received as members of the Committees of Correspondence National Coordinating Committee, elected at the Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s held at Berkeley California July 17-19, 1992.:

• Angela Davis, SF
• Gus Newport, Berkeley
• Elizabeth Martinez, SF
• Alva Buxenbaum, NY
• Leslie Cagan, NY
• Peter Camejo, Alameda, CA
• Giuliana Milanese, SF
• Robert Chacanaca, Freedom, CA
• Mildred Williamson, Chicago
• Barry Cohen, NY
• Mark Solomon, Boston
• Barbara Lee, Sacramento
• Maudelle Shirek, Berkeley
• Raahi Reddy, New Brunswick, NJ
• Margy Wilkinson, Berkeley
• Yvonne Golden, Florida
• Mary Idosidis, Mill Valley, CA
• Pat Fry, Detroit
• Marty Price, Oakland
• Frances Beal, Oakland
• Marshall Garcia, NY
• Betty Kano, Berkeley
• Michael Myerson, NY
• Sharon Stewart, LA
• Carmen Rumbaut, San Antonio
• Maurice Jackson, Washington, D.C.
• Geoffrey Jacques, NY
• Arthur Kinoy, Montclair, NJ
• Melinda Brown, LA
• Leslie Shaheen, NY

In 1994 Gus Newport was a member of the National Coordinating Committee of the Committees of Correspondence.

CoC National Conference endorser

In 1992 April Knutson, Center for Advanced Feminist Studies, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,, endorsed the Committees of Correspondence national conference Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s held at Berkeley California July 17-19.

Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s

The Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s was the Committees of Correspondence's first national conference held in Berkeley, California July 17-19, 1992.

Workshops that were held at the conference on Saturday, July 18 included:

New World Order Confronting the "New World Order". The multinational corporation, inter-imperialist rivalry, anti-imperialism and the struggle for peace, disarmament and non-intervention.

• Susan Borenstein, former exec. director, National Chile Center, NY
• Conn Hallinan, prof. of journalism, UC Santa Cruz
• Erik Larsen, Marine conscientious objector recently released from prison for refusing orders for Gulf War
• Shantika Emker, student of Marxist philosophy
• Roger Burback, Center for the Study of the Americas
• April Knutson, Center for Advanced Feminist Studies, Univ. of Minnesotta, Minneapolis
• Gus Newport, former mayor, Berkeley

Progressive Alliance of Alameda County

The Progressive Alliance of Alameda County held its founding conference June 1 and 2,1996, Federal Building Auditorium, Oakland California.

Individuals came from the New Party, Peace and Freedom Party, Green Party and the left wing of the Democratic Party.

Supporting individuals included;

• Russell Bass
• Peter Camejo
• Hank Chapot
• Marsha Feinland
• Mark Friedman
• Joe Gross
• Greg Jan
• Barbara Lubin
• Carlos Munoz, Jr.
• Gus Newport
• Michael Parenti
• Wilson Riles, Jr.
• Sushawn Robb
• Stephanie Ruby
• Peggy Saika
• Margaret Shellada
• Larry Shoup
• Dona Spring

DSA honorary chair

Democratic Left Millennium issue part 1 page 26 1999

Gus Newport was elected an honorary chair of Democratic Socialists of America in 1999.[

Remembering Richard Cloward

On September 20, 2001 500 people gathered at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City to celebrate Cloward’s Life and Work. Speakers included Frances Fox Piven, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West, Gus Newport-(all members of Democratic Socialists of America), activists Howard Zinn, June Jordan, Joel Rogers and Tim Sampson plus long time voter registration advocate, Demos president, Miles Rapoport.

War Times

In January 2002, a group of San Francisco leftists, mainly involved with STORM or Committees of Correspondence, founded a national anti-Iraq War newspaper War Times.

Endorsers of the project included Gus Newport.

Committees of Correspondence Conference 2002

At the Committees of Correspondence National Conference and Convention, July 25-28, 2002 San Francisco State University, the Plenary Panel and Discussion on Electoral Reform and the Struggle for Democracy comprised;

John Nichols, Gus Newport, Medea Benjamin, Mildred Williamson The protection of the right to vote, ballot access, electoral campaigns that are independent of corporations and major political parties.

DSA conference

In 2003 Holly Sklar addressed a Democratic Socialists of America Conference in Berkeley, California, along with Gus Newport and Bob Wing.

Free Mumia Abu-Jamal

In 2008 Gus Newport, Vice President Programs of Vanguard Public Foundation, San Francisco, CA signed a statement circulated by the Partisan Defense Committee calling for the release of convicted “cop-killer” Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Independent Progressive Politics Network

In 2009 Gus Newport served on the Advisory Committee of the Independent Progressive Politics Network.

Kiva connection

Nicole Deane March 24, 2016:

With Rashidah Grinage, Carroll Fife, Dan Siegel, Gus Newport, Shonda Roberts and James Massar.

Endorsing Fetonte

Oakland Democratic Socialists of America members who endorsed Danny Fetonte when he ran for DSA NPC in 2017 included Lisa Kermish, Gus Newport.

Unity Reform Commission

In 2017 the Democratic National Committee's 21-member Unity Reform Commission included nine members selected by Hillary Clinton, seven members picked by Bernie Sanders, three picked by Thomas Perez, and the chair and vice chair ― selected by Clinton and Sanders, respectively.

Aside from Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, a Clinton pick, the breakdown of the members selected by Perez and Clinton is not public.

Sanders named his selections to the commission. They were Larry Cohen, the vice chair; former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner; former Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver; former Sanders New York delegate Nomiki Konst; James Zogby, founder of the Arab American Institute; former Berkeley, California Mayor Gus Newport; former Nevada Assemblywoman Lucy Flores; and Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb.

The DNC declined to name the three members Perez picked and a spokesman for Clinton did not respond to a request for information on her appointments.

Southern Africa conference

In 1986 organizers of the West Coast Conference in Solidarity with the National Liberation Movements of South Africa (ANC) and Namibia (SWAPO) included Hon. Gus Newport, -Mayor of Berkeley.