Candidate for
Democratic Party County Central Committee; County of San Francisco; Assembly District 13

Rebecca Delgado-Rottman, Incumbent San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee

"Rebecca Loves San Francisco ... Your Link to Diversity"

I love life. I love art. I love culture. I love San Francisco. Put it all together, it means HUMANITY to me! Life is good. Life is precious and we must maximize every moment in our lives.

What led me to politics is my genuine concern for all people, my involvement in charitable causes and fundraising activities. The people I've helped encouraged me to be in politics. I have a "heart", and according to the people, a heart is what is lacking in our current political composition.

I feel that my mission is to be the "link" to help those who are under-served and under-represented. It is my passion to create "links," and modify old ones, to shape what new generations need.

I look at life as an art. Art not only decorates and beautifies, it informs, enlightens, and entertains. Art challenges us to think and feel in ways we have not imagined and helps us define our views of the world, our values, and our social beliefs.

I love San Francisco. It is a cultural Mecca; a great city where we have the opportunity to learn different cultures. In this City, we challenge ourselves and our children to learn and respect our multi-culture society. We need to develop a greater understanding of each other's differences and similarities, which ultimately enriches our experience of each other.

I enjoy working with people. I help those who come to me for assistance. I listen to those who share their stories with me. I respect people and enjoy making them feel special. I love motivating people, particularly young minds, to see the many opportunities that life presents and utilizing the gifts that God has given to all of us. I want people to be empowered.

All of us have the same fundamental needs. We all want better education for our children, better health care system, better wages, safe neighborhood, affordable housing, clean air to breath, equal opportunities, access to government, and overall, to enjoy a good quality life.

Being a Filipino immigrant and having been a single mother for 12 years, I know what "quality of life" is about. It is my passion to work with people in creating that quality of life. It is one of my goals to empower the Filipinos as well as the other minority communities. To continue to be their voice in local government, to advance their issues, to serve as a mentor to Filipino American born and Immigrants, to encourage and support credible community leaders to run for public office, to make the minority communities more visible and part of the American mainstream society.

The Filipinos are the second largest Asian population in the United States, nearly 2 million. Predominantly are residing in California. There are approximately 385,000 Filipinos in the Bay Area, and 85,000 in San Francisco. However, Filipino representation in government does not commensurate with the population. We need more than ever representation for women and diversity in politics.

When I first entered politics, I became the first Filipino woman to win public office in San Francisco in 1998, and was re-elected last March 7, 2000, for another 2-year term, to the 12th Assembly District of the SF Democratic County Central Committee. I was the only woman of color who won and holds the position of the 2nd Vice Chair in the powerful policy making body of the Democratic Central Committee. I garnered over 12,000 votes, and placed an impressive 5th in the 12 elected positions in the field of 25 candidates.

I want to share with you some of the work I have done for our community. My love affair with the community began in 1994, when I was appointed director of the San Francisco-Taipei Sister City Committee. The committee's mission was to extend goodwill and cultural exchange; we raised money to sponsor high school students from Taipei and San Francisco to experience life in each other's country.

Throughout 1996 and 1997, I continued down my path, beginning with a collaborative fundraising event with my dear friend and local artist, Christine Hanlon, whose artwork sales benefited the "Coalition on the Homelessness." I participated in the City's first Youth Empowerment Conference, and secured partial underwriting for the conference by providing art supplies, instructional staff, performers, and a summer Scholarship Program. Additionally, I organized a fundraising event to benefit the Filipino community to promote Filipino empowerment. This program showcased Filipinos in America, past, present, and future. I recruited models and performers with different ethnicities to illustrate how people of all colors can work together to create a beautiful world and encouraged participation from inner city youth.

In 1998, Mrs. Alice Bulos, Tim Dayanot, and I spearheaded the "Filipinos for Gray Davis". Our group worked hard in campaigning to ensure that California elected a Democrat as Governor. Our group became the first Asian led fundraising event for Gray Davis in San Francisco, which garnered over $50,000 and strong community support.

In 1999, I was appointed by Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. as an Executive Committee member of the Mayor's Second Women's Summit where I raised $10,000 for the event. This event drew 6,182 women of all ages, from all walks of life, who came together to discuss common issues, concerns and strategies on ways in which women could improve their lives. I also participated in the Third Women's Summit.

That year, I supported women in government and fair play in the media by joining the formation of "Committee for Fair Play" on behalf of Marivic Bamba, who was the only Filipina department head in this City's administration and the first Filipina who held such rank. Bamba was at the center of an FBI probe of the City's Contracting practices. We held a Press Conference, and urged the media to exercise fairness, caution, and sensitivity through the FBI investigation.

A heartbreaking event happened in October 1999, when three Filipino schoolteachers died at the hands of a manic-depressive security guard. This event left a Filipino child orphaned, and I was compelled to help. I immediately contacted the Philippine Consulate, obtained free airfare for the orphaned child's safe return to the Philippines.

Recently, I have been dedicating my efforts to the Filipino Task Force on AIDS, where I sit as the Chair of the Board. My goal is to raise $30,000 annually through series of fundraising activities. The money raised is used to develop programs and outreach which supports this 14-year-old, culturally and linguistically, one of a kind in the country, non-profit organization. These services target the LGBT community, women, and youth, by providing support and awareness.

Another organization that is close to my heart is the Filipino American Council where I sit as the Vice-President of the Board. The Council is a 30-year old non-profit organization who provides services to seniors, youth, and newly arrived immigrants. The Council provides meals and programs for seniors, educational program for the youth, and job training for the newly arrived immigrants.

In my job as a Vice President of the Academy of Art College, I work with diversity issues, such as hate crime, rape and domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse. Young students look to me as not only an authoritarian figure, but also as a friend. I keep my students focused in the very reason why they are at the Academy to help them realize their dreams way beyond their imagination. My students at the Academy is another segment of our community that I know, in my heart, I am able to reach out to help them succeed in their goals, and thereby create good citizens for our nation. I also interact with the community and look at ways in how the Academy can partner with the local schools, organizations, and other charitable causes.

Moreover, I serve as the treasurer for the Filipino American Democratic Club, Fundraising Chair of the Asian Pacific Democratic Club, and I am also a member of the National Women's Political Caucus, and City Democratic Club. Occasionally, I write for Philippine News and is an independent reporter for the Filipino American Report, KMTP TV Channel 32, covering stories that are important to the Filipino community.

Regarding my personal life, I am married to my "one true love", John Rottman, a builder, and we live in the Marina District. I am a mother of two beautiful daughters, Toni and Angela, ages 30 and 23 years old. Toni is following my footsteps in working with people through the Human Rights Commission, while my daughter Angela is in Sports Medicine at Seton Hospital.

Today, I am seeking my third term to the Democratic Central Committee in the 13th Assembly District, a new district and a new challenge. Among the individuals who have endorsed me to date are: Board of Supervisors Gavin Newsom, Mark Leno, City Treasurer Susan Leal, California State Assembly Majority Leader Kevin Shelley, Johan Klehs, Member of the Board of Equalization, Congressman Tom Lantos, Dr. Natalie Berg, President, Community College Board, Milton Marks III, Trustee, SF City College, Mrs. Alice Bulos, State Chairwoman Filipino American Democratic Caucus, and Bart Director Tom Radulovich. Among local organizations: the National Women's Political Caucus-SF, FDR Democratic Club, African American Democratic Club, Filipino American Democratic Club, Asian Pacific Democratic Club, Irish American Democratic Club-SF, Westside Chinese Democratic Club, District 6 Democratic Club, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, and City Democratic Club.

I am Number 41 on the ballot for the SF Democratic County Central Committee. I hope you will join the people who have endorsed me by voting for me on March 5, 2002. Together we will make a difference. Thank you very much.