Recommendation: Vote for Dan Walters for Oro Loma Sanitary District

 Recommendation: Vote for Dan Walters for Oro Loma Sanitary District  Politics  No Responses »
Nov 012014
 

danwalters

Five candidates, including two incumbents, are running for three seats in the Oro Loma Sanitary District Board.  This covers part of San Leandro, but not the part where I live.  I thought about not making any recommendations in this race because the issues are pretty complex.

On the one hand, Oro Loma seems to be doing quite well.  The Board gets re-elected time and time again.  On the other hand, all the members are older white men.  One of the incumbents running, Howard Kerr, is a very conservative 91-years-old.  Among the non-incumbents there is another middle-age white man, Dan Walters, an older white woman, former Mayor Shelia Young, and a Nigerian American accountant who is also running for School Board.  Either of the last two would bring some diversity to the Board.  But is diversity what one needs in a sanitary district board? Or is it technical knowledge and familiarity with the work?  And if it’s the latter, should Kerr’s political ideas come into play?

Originally, I decided to not make any recommendations on this race.  I don’t have to vote, so I don’t really have to make up my mind.  But then I realized I wasn’t being entirely fair.  Because if I did have to vote, even if I didn’t know who my second and third votes would go, my first one would be for Dan Walters.

Dan Walters is pretty cool guy.  He is a chemical engineer, but also a policy wonk.  His political philosophy has a strong conservative/libertarian bent, and yet he is profoundly concerned with social issues.  He is very involved in Boy Scouts, for example.  Though we don’t share many political views or personality traits, I have a lot of respect for Dan.  He is intelligent – the type of person who “gets” what you are talking about -, he has a very logical mind, he is honest, he tries to be a good person.  He is willing to look at problems and issues from different perspectives. He is willing to listen.  And he loves garbage.  As a young kid, he toured a water treatment plan and has since been in love with waste management engineering. He is not running out of any political ambition, he thinks he will have fun being in this particular board.  And I think he will.

Moreover, he has actually been following the issues, he knows all about technical and policy requirements.  Truth be told, I had to stop him from going into detail.

In any case, he is really the right guy for this particular job.  If you can, vote for him.

Endorsement: Len Raphael for Oakland City Auditor

 Endorsement: Len Raphael for Oakland City Auditor  Politics  No Responses »
Nov 012014
 
Len Raphael

Len Raphael

I am endorsing Len Raphael for Oakland City Auditor. Len is quirky, he is passionate, he is willing to take risks and many people are unhappy about his political actions. Perhaps trying to recall Jeanne Quan wasn’t the smartest political move, but he stood for what he believed was best for Oakland.

And, unlike his opponent, Len knows Oakland well. He’s been paying attention carefully as to what happens at City Hall, understands the financial situation of the city, and has a clue as to what agencies are in greatest need of auditing. As a CPA and former auditor himself, he knows how to go about it as well.  He has read Oakland’s budgets, he knows where the hidden problems lie.

His opponent, a Republican until the day she filed to run for Auditor (and yet, somehow she got the Alameda County Democratic Party endorsement), is a nice lady but she has not paid attention to what’s going in the city.  She could not name any agencies that needed to be audited and had no actual plans about what she’d do if elected.

Len Raphael is the smart choice for Oakland Auditor and I encourage you to vote for him.

Pleasanton: Morrison for Mayor, Sanwong for Council, Miller for School Board

 Pleasanton: Morrison for Mayor, Sanwong for Council, Miller for School Board  Politics  No Responses »
Nov 012014
 
Matt Morrison

Matt Morrison

This is a quick write-up of my recommendations for Pleasanton offices. The are based on my knowledge of the candidates

Matt Morrison is a Democrat. He is an environmentalist.  He stands against development in the Pleasanton area.  Developers don’t like him.  Developers, including James Tong and the Lim family, have an undue level of influence in the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee (ACDCC) , mostly through campaign manager and Executive Committee member Angela Ramirez-Holmes.   So, in one of those ironies of politics, Matt Morrison was unable to get the Democratic endorsement because he is too environmentally conscious, too anti-development, too anti-making a few people rich.

Those are exactly the reasons why I support him.  He is fighting the good fight against very wealthy, very powerful interests who are willing to sell out the people of Pleasanton for money.  He has no money, he is unlikely to win the race, but I can only hope that the citizens of Pleasanton, of all political inclinations, will vote for him.

Olivia Sanwong

Olivia Sanwong

Olivia Sanwong serves with me in the ACDCC.  She had no problems getting the Democratic endorsement, and she does deserve it.  She is intelligent, well educated, committed to Pleasanton, and will bring to the City the perspective of a young professional.

I’ve spoken with Olivia about civil liberties issues, and she is concerned about the overreached of surveillance technologies used against private citizens. As this becomes a larger issue, I think her perspective will be useful in the Council.

Mark Miller

Mark Miller

The Pleasanton School Board is in disarray.  Parents are not being heard, at least once, not even allowed to speak.  Changes are made without adequate consultation with the community.  District staff has been leaving in droves. Parents are not happy. A change is needed.

Mark Miller is a dad.  Two of his kids have graduated from Pleasanton schools. One is still in middle school.  He is a smart guy, an IT professional, with an extensive history of being involved with youth.  The Pleasanton School Board needs change, Miller has stepped up to the plate and has my endorsement.

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