Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Jose; Council District 10

I have spent every available moment in both my primary and runoff campaigns walking precincts. As of Labor Day, I had walked to over 5,000 homes in District 10 and spoken to thousands of residents. I say this not so much to brag about a number, but more to let you know that I feel as if I have a strong understanding of what voters in District 10 are talking about.

Because I have this understanding, I wanted to take this opportunity to present many of the positions I have discussed with voters at their doors and in community candidate forums over the past months:

Pension Reform

I supported the Measure B pension reform measure, which passed overwhelmingly in June. I agree with the "fix it now, fix it for good" approach of this measure. Other cities in the Bay Area are kicking the can down the road, avoiding substantial and permanent solutions to their structural deficits. San José is doing that with Measure B, and it came up in nearly every conversation I had during this campaign. 74% of voters in District 10 approved Measure B, the second-highest percentage of any district in the city, a number that's hard to ignore.

Raising the Minimum Wage in San José

A measure has qualified for the November ballot to raise the minimum wage in San José from $8 to $10 per hour. There is no question that California's minimum wage is too low. It has remained unchanged since 2008, while the cost of living has increased 5.76%. To put the current minimum wage in perspective, $8 an hour adds up to roughly $16,640 a year for a full-time worker. In times of economic uncertainty, we need to do better for working people to help them provide for their families and contribute back into their local economies. At the same time, we need to recognize that any increase to the cost of doing business in California must be done carefully.

I believe the issue of raising the minimum wage should be taken up in Sacramento, where the rate can be raised statewide. This would keep all of our businesses on the same playing field and help us avoid the competitive disadvantages that would result from a city-by-city approach. If San José were to raise its minimum wage without buy-in from surrounding cities, our small businesses would bear the additional burden. Our city has been a local leader on other issues, but raising the minimum wage requires a statewide approach.

Major League Baseball

I support a ballot measure to bring the Oakland A's to downtown San Jose. I strongly believe in the positive economic impact Major League Baseball can and hopefully will have on downtown San Jose. The Sharks have been an enormous boon to the area and Major League Baseball would be an even greater one, in my view. I will support the ballot measure if and when Bud Selig ever gets off his thrown to make a decision. I also support the City being more agressive to encourage Major League Baseball to make an expedited decision.

Library Funding Initiative

Another initiative attempting to qualify for the fall ballot would mandate spending levels for our City's libraries. A City audit of this initiative showed it would mean an extra $19.5 million in funding for libraries during this budget year. I am all for funding our libraries, but I believe forcing the City to fund any department at a set level is bad business. We have seen what ballot-box budgeting has done to the State budget + we cannot let that happen in San José. On top of that, the $19.5 million dollars could fully staff the South Bay Police Sub Station and leave money left over to hire 80 police officers. I'm opposed to mandated spending that ties the hands of the City Council to make adjustments when needed.

Statewide Propositions

There are a number of statewide measures on the November ballot. But two in particular deserve attention:

Prop 30 is Governor Jerry Brown's tax plan to restore funding to statewide pubic education, local public safety, and other general fund departments. I support this measure for a very simple reason: Now, more than ever, our schools need our support. The impact of the proposed cuts that would ensue if this measure fails cannot be understated, and I hope we do not have to contemplate them.

Prop 32 would institute campaign finance regulations that would drastically reduce the ability of working people to have a voice in our democratic process. While ostensibly a restriction on special interests donating large amounts to political campaigns, it is an unfair proposal that targets labor unions and includes loopholes for corporate interests. We need to reform campaign finance law, but Prop 32 is NOT the solution.

Regulating Pay Day Lending

This is an issue that has come up more recently in the news and subsequently with voters. The fact that City Halls and County Buildings are the places where this issue is being considered shows how dysfunctional California really is + and the power of lobbyists in Sacramento. That's unfortunate, but not something anyone running for City Council in District 10 can fix anytime soon. That being said, I am glad that the issue is back before City of San José.

I agree with the Planning Commission and City Council's efforts to make life more difficult for payday lenders. Since the state is not doing its job in regulating these shops by limiting the amount of interest they can charge, the City should do what it can to regulate, which is mostly in the area of land use + the distance between locations, restricting them to certain census tracks, etc. I would add an additional provision which I have not yet seen included, which is to forbid payday lenders within striking distance of the City's two, soon-to-be-expanded card rooms.

Obviously, as a small business owner, I favor the rights of businesses to exist, but most reasonable people can see that payday lenders are charging outrageous fees and interest and preying on economically vulnerable populations. The City Council needs to act, should act, and I believe they will act.