Remembering Mike Rotkin – Talk of the Bay

Remembering Mike Rotkin: A Special Talk of the Bay Tribute

Hello again, Santa Cruz and beyond!

Welcome to Talk of the Bay on KSQD 90.7 FM — now proudly broadcasting to more of our coastal neighbors in Salinas and Monterey too! This week’s show is a heartfelt special: “Remembering Mike” — a tribute to the life and legacy of former Santa Cruz mayor, educator, union organizer, and all-around community force, Michael E. Rotkin.

Mike passed away peacefully at his home in Santa Cruz on June 18th, 2025. He leaves behind a deep imprint on our city and our people.

A Studio Full of Stories

To remember Mike, five of us gathered in KSQD’s Harvey West Park studio:

• Former Santa Cruz Mayors Tim Fitzmaurice and Jane Weed

• Writer and former student of Mike’s, Susie Bright

• Lifelong friend and community ally, Ron Pomerantz

• And me, Chris Krohn, your host and friend of Mike’s

Together, we shared laughter, grief, admiration, and the kind of stories that only surface when remembering someone who mattered this much.

Who Was Mike Rotkin?

Mike wasn’t just a politician — he was a movement.Elected to the Santa Cruz City Council in 1978 as a self-described “Marxist-feminist,” Mike rode the wave of progressive politics that crested with UCSC’s founding and reshaped Santa Cruz in the decades that followed.

He served six terms on the City Council and held the position of Mayor five times, always pushing the city to think bigger, act more compassionately, and stay rooted in justice.

As a UCSC lecturer in Community Studies, Mike educated generations on activism, organizing, and the intersections of labor and local policy. He was also a labor organizer, a founding force in the creation of the UC-AFT lecturers’ union — a fierce advocate for working people at the university and beyond.

From the Guests: Memories, Politics, and Music

Tim Fitzmaurice remembered their union work in the 1980s — a time, he said, “filled with love and fire.” The UC-AFT effort was hard, gritty organizing — and Mike was in it for the long haul.

Tim also reflected on the tough moment in 1998 when he, along with a voting bloc of new progressives, chose not to support Mike for Mayor — a political decision rooted in respect for another colleague, but one that nonetheless had emotional weight.

They also shared a different kind of harmony: Tim and Mike occasionally