Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Gabriel

First and foremost I am a Community Advocate not a Politician. My devotions are to the families and children I serve everyday as a teacher, a child advocate for children in foster care, and a mentor and outreach counselor to at-risk and homeless youth.

I believe the City of San Gabriel has sent a clear message to the children and families of this community that we are NOT a PRIORITY here. It is evident in our parks and recreation services, our disorganized afterschool care programs, our public schools specifically Jefferson Middle School and San Gabriel High School, and in the destruction of our favorite family past times such as the Fiesta Roller Ink and San Gabriel Lanes Bowling Alley.
I believe if San Gabriel Families and Children were a priority in this community than the city would put more money into preservation and restoration rather than destruction and demolition. Our city is turning into a concrete jungle of mass assimilation towards Nail Salons, Mini-marts, and Fast food. What the families and children of this city need are opportunities to gather and share time together. We have to travel out of the city to engage in these actitivies. I know this as a mother of an 11 year old son. Now Vincent Lugo park is in threat of being plowed down to make a soccer field. Vincent Lugo park is a LandMark in this town and what it needs is improvement and advancement not barren empty space. The surrounding cities of Alhambra, Temple City, Rosemead and Arcadia all have more than two parks with less expensive and higher quality community and recreation services. I have personally experienced this for the past 6 years with my own son. Why do we have to travel out of our city to participate in activities and enrichment experiences for ourselves and our children? Number one because we only have two parks and secondly because the tax revenue base in this city is very low. I want to know what is being done to improve the quality of life here for San Gabriel's families, children and seniors.
I believe I am the voice that the city's families and children need to represent them. I am a single parent, I struggle with the same economic hardships that most working parents do. I am a teacher that knows the value in a quality education and a safe learning environment for students, I am a student that knows how hard it is to balance work, family, school and co-existence with the rest of the world, I am a peace activist and I stand for social justice and equality for all people regardless of race, gender, economic or immigrant status.
I plan to do everything in my power to work with the city in ensuring that FAMILIES and CHILDREN are San Gabriel's Top Priority and that Urbanization and Economic Growth are balanced with Emotional Reinvestment and Human Capital.

On March 8th, 2005 please put your family first by electing Felicia Mollinedo to be your advocate in City Council.