SAMCAR Shows Support for Leland Yee

Building relationships, loyalty and working together were important points emphasized by California State Assemblyman (AD 12) and Speaker Pro Tempore Leland Yee at Tuesday’s SAMCAR fundraiser, held especially for Yee at the home of San Bruno Mayor Larry Franzella. SAMCAR has officially endorsed Yee, who is seeking the 8th California Senate District seat in the November elections.

SAMCAR’s first fundraiser for a political candidate was a success. Approximately 50 SAMCAR Realtors, Affiliates and their guests attended the reception.

Tuesday night’s event was a way SAMCAR members could get to know Yee and build a stronger relationship with him. SAMCAR President John Gieseker invited members to “take the opportunity tonight to say hello to Leland Yee, and start a dialogue to help us communicate the issues that are important to Realtors and private property owners in San Mateo County.”

Yee told SAMCAR members that he, too, wanted to do the same.

“Building relationships and loyalty are a part of adult life, to be supportive of friends and provide assistance when they need it. …,” said Yee. “I want to forge a strong relationship with you. We have many things in common, and I’m going to need your help.”

Gieseker said, “The San Mateo County Association of Realtors is here to protect property rights, promote the construction of housing, including affordable housing, and to foster a better quality of life in our communities.”

As a former San Francisco Supervisor and currently, State Assemblyman for District 12, Yee has championed the same rights and issues. He has strongly supported efforts to encourage the development of affordable housing, offer down payment assistance to first- time homebuyers, protect rent control, and help the homeless

Yee said, “I am supportive of property rights. I want to help and enhance property rights issues and I have generally supported this particular issue. … I do believe we need to have a funding incentive for people to own their own home and invest in that avenue, and for those who can’t, we need to provide them the ability to rent.”

“You are extremely important to me,” Yee assured Realtors. “I’m not interested in creating a situation that separates us; I want for situations to bring us together.”

Yee gave SAMCAR members a glimpse of the nature of the upcoming state assembly and warned there are people there who aim “on taking away the property rights we enjoy.” He encouraged SAMCAR to continue to cultivating ties with their representatives, like Assemblymen Gene Mullin (AD 19) and Ira Ruskin (AD 21).

“It’s extremely important to look at your representatives in the Assembly side, and make sure that they’re on the same page as you,” advised Yee. “We got to do what we can to keep the temperature gauge in the Assembly. Hopefully, some of that moderating voice will exist in the Senate side, and as a result, the Senate becomes a critical body in dealing with the issues we care about.”

Yee indicated he is also concerned about issues like the development of the US Highway 101 corridor and said he supports the creation of a select committee in dealing with transportation, job creation, education and infrastructure in a coordinated fashion and to enhance the amenities of living in the area.

“Let’s be close, work together, to be a solid force. We have challenges to look at. I am so appreciative of all of you. I want to expand relationships to all of you and am ready to lend an ear to your concerns,” said Yee.

Gieseker said, “We help people make one of the most important economic decisions of their lives. We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to realize the American dream of homeownership. We need to work with Leland and his colleagues in Sacramento, to clear away the obstacles and create greater opportunities for homeownership here in San Mateo County and throughout California.”

Special guests at the reception included Robert Marshall, Sr., former mayor of San Bruno; Joel Fernekes, mayor of South San Francisco; Karyl Matsumoto, South San Francisco city councilwoman; members of the San Bruno City Council: Ken Ibarra, Irene O’Connell, Jim Ruane, Vice Mayor Rico E. Medina; and members of the San Francisco/Peninsula FAREPA (Filipino American Real Estate Professionals Association) Board of Directors.

SAMCAR would like to thank San Bruno Mayor Larry Franzella for his hospitality and for opening his beautiful home for the event; Craig Thorson of HFN Peninsula Realty, for catering the delicious hors d’oeuvres that evening; Andrea Thiers and Kristin Handley, both of LandAmerica Commonwealth, who manned the bar; Joannie Armes of Countrywide Home Loans and Sue Vaterlaus of RE/MAX Dolphin, for serving the delicious food; SAMCAR Special Event Coordinator Beckie Patane, for coordinating the successful event; and Deputy Government Affairs Director Michon Coleman for organizing the fundraiser.

SIDEBAR: Meet Leland Yee Democrat Leland Y. Yee, PhD, is an educator, child psychologist, who has dedicated his career to strengthening our schools and colleges, protecting our families, and working creatively to improve the quality of life in our communities.

Born: China, 1948 Education: Masters degree from San Francisco State University, doctorate in developmental psychology from University of Hawaii. Family: Married for 33 years, Yee and his wife Maxine raised a family of four children, and put them all through local public schools. Service: San Francisco School Board, 1988-1996 San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 1996-2002 California State Assembly, District 12, 2002-present

In 2002, Leland was elected as the first Chinese American Assembly member in the history of San Francisco. The first Asian American to serve as Speaker Pro Tempore, Leland has been a powerful voice for underserved communities. He has earned 100 percent ratings from the Sierra Club, the California Congress of Seniors and the Children’s Advocacy Institute. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that all Californians have equal rights and that state services are guaranteed to all, no matter what language we speak.

For more about Leland Yee, go to: http://www.lelandyee.com/index.html