Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Gabriel

San Gabriel--our home--like many cities affected by the state budget crisis, must take initiative to protect our community and stay competitive. Take a drive down either of our city's namesake streets, San Gabriel Blvd or Mission Dr, and we see excessive "For Lease" signs and too many empty storefronts.

We must preserve the jobs and workers already here, create new jobs, restore our locally owned businesses and safeguard our municipal tax base to better provide vital city services.

As a Community College professor, I see the results of economic distress in my classrooms everyday--adults returning to school, desperate to learn new job skills; underprepared students who stay in classes they know they won't pass just so they can have access to health care; promising students dropping out because they can't afford tuition. I do not want to see these effects grip my city, my community or my neighbors. As an elected School Board Member, I recognize the connection between economic opportunity, education, jobs and local crime.

I will work to build a strong, local economy, increase opportunities, and ensure our city dutifully provides necessary, fundamental services like paving roads, maintaining sewer lines and proactively identifying streets in need of additional stop signs for safety reasons.

San Gabriel's residents and public officials must work together to help our city succeed. In these tough economic times, it is especially important to have a solid connection to county, state, federal elected officials in our area. I have spent the last two years cultivating and building these relationships.

I am proud to be the only city council candidate to have earned the strong public support of major elected officials like Congressional Representatives Adam Schiff and Judy Chu, Assemblymen Mike Eng and Roger Hernandez, and State Senators Carol Liu and Dr. Ed Hernandez. I am also proud to have law enforcement endorsement in the form of Sheriff Lee Baca.

As a parent and homeowner, I want to create a vision for San Gabriel for the next generation, not just the next 4 years.

Ideas for the next generation in San Gabriel:

Senior Center and/or Community Center (language/cultural integration, community gathering place)

Intra/Inter City shuttle service (possible JPA with neighboring cities) to connect and move residents throughout the West San Gabriel Valley

Thriving commercial scene so our youth will have jobs inside the city

More open/park/green spaces for families to enjoy

As a dog lover and an owner of two big, lovable dogs (a Black Lab and a Husky/Malamute/Shepherd mix), I would love to establish a Dog Park in San Gabriel

I sincerely ask for your vote on March 8th.