Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 19; Democratic Party

I am running for the Assembly because we need effective progressive Democrats in Sacramento who will stand up for working families, for public education, for health care as a human right, for civil liberties, and for our environment.

I am the President of the San Mateo County Community College Board. I've won three county wide elections to our Community College Board. Before that I served as an elected Millbrae School Board member. Now more than ever we need strong experienced leaders who will make sure that we do not balance the state budget on the backs of our students. We must increase education funding. Our children's futures - and our future in the world economy - depend on strengthening our public education system.

I am the only candidate in this race with a background in education leadership and an understanding of education finance. That's why the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers support me.

I've spent my life fighting for working Californians - and winning. I have been instrumental in enacting laws that increased the minimum wage, that protected our financial privacy and that gave parents the right to take time off the job to care for a sick child.

I have several legislative priority areas that include:

1) Strengthening public education from kindergarten through public universities - by increasing funding and by working with front line teachers, parents and community leaders to promote innovative education reform.

2) Winning health care rights for all Californians. I support a Medicare for All "single payer" system. I will work to place the needs of patients ahead of the profit motives of the giant drug and insurance companies.

3) Rebuilding the middle class, by raising the minimum wage, enforcing employment laws, promoting job training and supporting creation of high wage, sustainable jobs.

4) Championing our civil liberties and civil rights, by winning stronger privacy protections for consumers and safeguarding our privacy against government intrusion, ending discrimination in all forms, and steadfastly opposing compromising our freedom in the name of "homeland security".

5) Protecting our fragile environment by cracking down on corporate polluters, promoting green building and energy conservation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to stop global warming, and cleaning up contamination of our air, water, and land.

Real leadership requires the skill to bring people together - and the courage to take on the corporate special interests that wield too much power in Sacramento. For thirty years I have been a leader who puts the needs of the working families of California first - for better education, health care rights, a cleaner environment and consumer protections. That is why US Senator Barbara Boxer, the Sierra Club, the California Teachers Association, the California Nurses Association and scores of local elected officials, education, and labor and community leaders support me for the State Assembly.