I am an optimist by nature, I am always looking for the silver lining in any adverse situation. I am quick with a smile as I am with a kind word. Our family is lucky to be in a community where this mindset is in abundance. Whether you believe what we believe -- where the sun is always shining on Hercules -- or you feel storm clouds are on the horizon and a deluge of rain is coming. I hope that you will find me appealing and capable enough to help lead Hercules no matter what the circumstance. I am humbly seeking your support and one of your votes to elect me as one of your elected Hercules City Council Members.    

 

It is this mindset which has led me to create the "Be a Star for Hercules" campaign. Having only been a resident of Hercules for 5 years, I feel that many new residents of < 15 years or so who have made big investments in Hercules and have children in school, or are currently in their golden years and entertaining grandchildren are interested in either getting involved or giving back. You have or have had a career, life experience or specialized training and are considered a subject matter expert. I want to encourage you to become a star for Hercules. Perhaps you don't have any of those criteria and you have an abundance of time and a can do attitude I want my campaign to spur you on to get involved. To the residents who we owe an immense amount of gratitude and recognition, and on whose shoulders we stand on for fashioning a wonderful city. I will work hard to make sure there is a smooth transition. I will encourage folks like myself to help in any they can to ensure that the next 152 years of Hercules will continue to be a brilliant independent gem in the Contra Costa County and North Bay communities, and that we endure.

 

152 is a number which is not lost on me interms of significance. It just so happens that 152 souls were lost in industrial accidents when the Hercules Powder Company was in full operation. In our 152nd year of our independence, it is a tragic occurrence, but the peace and tranquility we have in Hercules is a blessing and we will keep their memories alive and know that they lived so that we could live. We can't escape our past, but for all the negative things that it may stand for -- know this -- many lives were saved and improved from the safety dynamite and black powder brought to giant infrastructure projects (tunnels, mines and construction), and the economic boom these projects brought forth. We are blessed to have a great Herculean representative and global corporate citizen in Bio-Rad. I hope that we can encourage one or two more companies with potential or existing global citizens to became new citizens of Hercules, this will ensure Hercules longevity as a vibrant and independent gem that is within West Contra Costa County.

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As I campaign please consider how you can become a Star for Hercules. It is my goal to help align our stars for a brighter future for whether it is day or night Hercules' Stars will always shine. 

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As a candidate for Hercules City Council these are the issues that have been brought to me attention by our fellow Herculeans. 

 

Here are my aspirations for Hercules:

• we need a community hospital, in fact why stop at one. West Contra Costa has gone too long without a hospital or established medical center. We are underserved. This is an urgent need.

• now that COVID is more or less behind us we need to open up community participation and focus on more events encouraging the community within Hercules and our sister communities to come to Hercules and support our local businesses. 

• we have many inhabitants who through the lockdowns have started a new business, these are our potential stars. We need to identify these folks who have made big investments of time and capital and give them a helping hand--buy cutting red tape-- to showcase their products, goods and or services. 

• we need to help support our wonderful parks and recreation department to maintain our open spaces and keep them clean and develop a core of stars with time or expertise to extend their manpower with either brain or brawn to keep Hercules beautiful

• We need to have more retaurants here in Hercules, why not have a three star Michelin restaruarant here in Hercules? Why can't we be ambitious? Who are the stars that can help Hercules make this happen? 

• We need to ensure that the initiatives and efforts put forth to the community work on the context and premise of a strong and independent Hercules. 

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Here are the quality of life issues that concern me:

• I share the concern of many older residents and the parents of our younger residents with special health challenges who unfortunately have had to rely on local ambulance services. They are very expensive at $3,000 or more per instance. At least 200 Herculeans a year get transported since 2016 and have been impacted by this issue.

• the rise in crime particularly with the theft of catayltic converters and the break-ins of cars is alarming. In 2018 and 2019 we had three and five such incidences occur. In 2020 there were 19 such cases, in 2021 there was a new record and now in 2022 the year is not over and we have established a new record yet again. This has to be a priority. This hurts many people of color in this community mainly because this community is majority of color, also many young people who may also be struggling and have to park their vehicle on the street could benefit from not having to replace a whole exhaust system from someone selfish on making a quick buck. These are not victimless crimes. We all suffer from higher insurance rates as well, especially those 26 years and younger.

• I believe that our schools are performing great, having a child in the school system I feel good about that. However, in campaigning I see that more and residents of Hercules are seeking alternatives to educate their kids other than the public schools. Alternatives, like home schooling, boarding schools and charter schools. So much so I believe we need to alway be vigilant and focused on making sure our youngest citizens are receiving world class education, character building within a safe environment. 

• In the last few months and even more so since I have been campaigning I have not run into any one that supports the effort to raise the transfer tax 10 fold. While it might have been pushed off the agenda it has not disappeared. I understand the intent behind it, but it is mis-guided and why do we have to be guilty for having made a good investment decision.

• The same with Charter Cities, I feel very strongly that our city citizen leaders need not be figuring out new and novel ways to tax ourselves. It just demonstrates a lack of imagination and we need to recruit a cadre of Stars to help create a more cogent and executable vision for Hercules.

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As I continue my campaign for Hercules City Council I will enjoy collecting your inputs and thoughts as to how we can make your Hercules better, and if you aspire to be a Star for Hercules I will find a way to make sure you get to shine. So stay tuned and join me in my campaign to be a Star for Hercules.