The Values of A Democrat Combined With Fiscal Common Sense

I was raised by parents who taught me to respect and care for the least fortunate in society.  I am proud of the career I have had as a manager of affordable housing for seniors and my work for the children of our city as a school board trustee.  

I am also proud to be a member of the Democratic Party because Democrats know government can make a positive difference for the people.  But I also know our city can only care for others if it has a sustainable, balanced budget.

Runaway employee retirement costs are threatening the fiscal well-being of San Leandro.  Monies that should be spent to fix our streets, maintain senior services, and hire more police officers to improve public safety are instead being used on employee pensions.  In 2010, my opponent voted for a new contract with city employees which continued having the city pay 100% of employee pension costs, costing us $3 million each year. 

I support pensions for city employees, but we need have sensible reforms. To ensure we have the funds to address the needs of our community, city employees must start paying their fair share of employee pension costs just as do public school teachers and employees for all other cities in Alameda County. 

While I am the only candidate running for the City Council this year to call unequivocally for pension reform, this is not the only issue our city is failing address.  As your Council member for District 6, I will work for: 

* Fair Housing for All:  I have 20 plus years in Property Management that would be a great addition to City Council in reviewing the new developments. I will support affordable housing, especially for seniors, teachers, working families, and people with medical challenges. 

* Empowering Youth:  I will strongly advocate and fully support programs and activities that can empower the Youth Sector of our community to become leaders and develop their natural leadership potentials. 

* Creating Job Opportunities:  For our young adults entering the workforce and people searching for jobs I will collaborate with community organizations and business owners for projects that can help minimize unemployment, programs to ready applicants and eliminate the usual question of employers, do you have work experience?

* Promoting An Environmentally Friendly City:  Plant a Tree Program Citywide, is a proactive solution to preserve our environment and wildlife habitats while battling the climate crisis.

* Addressing Needs of Those With Limited Mobility:  We need greater wheel-chair accessibility, bus stops without waiting sheds, crosswalks for children and wheelchair-bound individuals, and restoring missing traffic and pedestrian signs, among others.