Oakland: Council shocked as Wan resigns

Council shocked as Wan resigns
Grand Lake-Chinatown representative cites family reasons; special election will be held to fill out term
By Heather MacDonald, STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND — Stunning his friends and constituents, Danny Wan resigned Wednesday from the Oakland City Council, citing personal reasons.

Wan, who represented the diverse Grand Lake-Chinatown

district, said he decided to step down after realizing he could not take care of his aging parents and continue his work on the council.

"I never thought politics was going to be my career," Wan said. "I decided that family concerns took precedence."

After he submits his formal letter of resignation today, Wan will work as an attorney for the Port of Oakland, probably focusing on government financing. His resignation is effective Jan. 18.

"This is not a happy thing," said Wan, adding that he made the decision during the holidays. "It was agonizing."

Councilmember Larry Reid (Elmhurst-East Oakland) said Wan's decision caught him completely by surprise. Along with council President Ignacio De La Fuente (Glenview-Fruitvale), Reid was among
Wan's closest allies on the council.

"I tried to convince him to stay, but he had his mind made up," Reid said. "I certainly understand his reasons."

Reid said Wan's resignation would deprive the council and the city of a man of "enormous compassion" whose smart, articulate arguments would be missed.

Councilmember Jean Quan (Montclair-Laurel) said Wan had the rare ability to synthesize complex issues and craft compromises acceptable to a majority of the council.

"That's really hard," Quan said. "Not everyone has the patience for that."

Although Wan had been ruWan says

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mored to be weighing a bid for the state Assembly, Quan said she would not have been surprised if he decided not to run for re-election. But she was floored by his decision to leave before his term expires.

"I had known that he was having a hard time financially," Quan said. "I had hoped he would find
a part-time job that would allow him to support his parents and remain on the council."

The City Charter calls for a special election to be held within 120 days of the resignation of a council member. Whoever is elected will serve the two years remaining in Wan's term, earning $63,000 year.

"I liked working with Danny Wan," said Vice Mayor Jane Brunner (North Oakland). "He was a thoughtful person who was willing to take on controversial issues and speak his mind."

Elected in 1996 to the East Bay Municipal Water District Board of Directors, Wan was appointed to the council in 2000, when John Russo resigned after being elected city attorney.

Because the way he was appointed drew howls of criticism from the public, the City Charter was changed to require a special election.

Wan, who was born in Taiwan, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a law degree from UCLA.

In 2002, he
ran for the council and was elected.

"I've accomplished much of what I set out to do," Wan said Wednesday.

Wan was the driving force behind Measure DD, a November 2002 bond measure that raised $198 million to restore Lake Merritt and the Oakland Estuary and improve recreation facilities.

"Measure DD will be his legacy," said Ken Katz, Splash Pad Neighborhood Forum chairman. "It will have a huge impact on the whole city."

In addition, Wan championed legislation that required city information to be printed not just in English but also in Spanish, Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese) and Vietnamese to encourage greater participation by Oakland's immigrants.

"Danny had a heart for his constituents, especially the Asian immigrant community," said Margaretta Lin, community and economic development director for the East Bay Community Law Center. "I'm sad to see him go."

The only openly gay council member, Wan praised San Francisco
Mayor Gavin Newsom's decision to allow same-sex couples to marry, and he said he only wished Oakland could do the same.

At his urging, the council passed resolutions opposing President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and urging the California Legislature to repeal the state ban.

"Danny has been the person who we can count on to listen to our concerns and address our issues," said Patricia Kevena Fili, who helped craft an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against transgender people. "I'm shocked. He has made life better for a lot of Oakland residents."

Wan was chairman of the council's Finance and Management Committee and had taken a lead role in shaping the city budget. Oakland is facing a deficit of more than $31.7 million in fiscal 2005-06.

"The budget numbers are not good," Wan said. "But we have uncovered the real problems and understand the true picture, and the council will deal with it."

Wan was often in the majority on the council, working closely with De La Fuente and helping Councilmember Henry Chang (At-Large) win re-election in March. He sometimes clashed with Councilmember Nancy Nadel (Downtown-West Oakland), although the two worked together before he joined the council.

"We haven't been agreeing on a lot lately," Nadel said, declining to comment further.

E-mail Heather MacDonald at hmacdonald [at] angnewspapers.com.