by John Garamendi
We are lucky to have many capable leaders who want to represent us in Sacramento.
Serving as your congressman in Washington, there’s a lot of coordination and overlap required to make sure that policies decided in our state and national capitals work in harmony and to the benefit of the people we represent. In the election for state Senate, I’m proud to endorse former Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada because she has been an effective leader who understands the important issues and is visible in our community.
As the chairwoman of the Assembly’s Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, Mariko was focused on strategies to improve outcomes and care for California seniors. I have regularly sought her advice as my work in Congress has focused on Alzheimer’s research and support for the caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. Her background as a former social worker gives her unique insights that we could use more of in Sacramento.
Mariko’s career in the Assembly also focused on two other issues important to our region. She served on the Committees on Agriculture; Water, Parks & Wildlife; and Veterans Affairs. Her resolve to stop the twin tunnels boondoggle is strong, and she understands the importance of working with the agricultural community to preserve open spaces and natural habitats.
I’ve also always been impressed with her commitment to constituent services. She goes the extra mile for the people she represents, most notably through her series of veteran services fairs. She was also instrumental in the establishment of a program that helped lower-income residents get the tax returns and rebates owed to them.We need leaders as principled, dedicated and hardworking as Mariko. I gave her my endorsement the day she announced her candidacy, because in my mind, she is the single best choice we have to represent us in the state Senate. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Mariko Yamada’s grassroots campaign. With your help, she can win this.
I too, am with Mariko. She has worked hard for the region over the years. She has gone about things the right way; serving full terms for the positions elected to. Bill Dodd is doing his best to climb the government leadership ladder. It’s clear Lois Wolk made a deal with him; you endorse my son, and I’ll make sure you have the right endorsements to get in my chair. The puppet strings of Lois Wolk are tiresome and old. This region needs change-and the time is here for us to make it.
If Bill Dodd wins, look for him to jump for Thompson’s seat at the US Congress level soon after.
Vote Mariko.
Yamada is a disaster.
She supported the Tsakapoulos project near the Causeway. She wasted millions of dollars pursuing eminent domain acquisition of the Conaway Ranch, which she abandoned once Tsakapoulos became a partial owner. She swept under the rug the corrupt practices in County government while she was a Supervisor. She supported a pro-developer County Habitat Conservation Plan. She turned a blind eye to the “pass through agreement” that blackmail’s millions of dollars annually out of the coffers of the City of Davis. She neglected to act on a single responsible financial reform or government restructure while in the legislature. She failed to understand that a better general use of tax dollars would make more dollars available for those most in need. She has continued the shallow attack on Democrat Bill Dodd that he is a “Republican.” She engages in the worst of crony politics, supporting the causes of her political “friends” and suppressing the causes of her political “enemies” regardless of the merits.
Two more days and this political nit will finally be out of our hair.
It seems probable that she finishes in the top two and lives to fight to November.