Jaime Patiño is a candidate for California State Assembly District 20 in the 2014 General Election. Castro Valley Matters reached out to each candidate, asking them for a statement.

Background

• Single father to my 9 year old daughter Monica. I know firsthand the issues affecting our schools.
• AA in Business Administration and Administration of Justice from Chabot College.
• BA in Political Science from Cal State Hayward.
• MBA and Certificates in Human Resource Management and Project Management from CSU East Bay.
• Finance/Research Administrator at UC Berkeley.
• Chairman of the Union City Human Relations Commission.
• Board of Directors for Tiburcio Vazquez Health Center.

My Priorities for Castro Valley

One of the first things I will do when elected to the State Assembly is make sure that ALL cities are given the same rights and opportunities. I don’t care if the city incorporated 100 years ago or decides to incorporate one year from now: all cities must be treated the same under the law when it comes to taxation, revenue and a seat at the table to determine their future.

The way the Vehicle License Fee (VLF) is distributed now, it acts as a deterrent to unincorporated communities to incorporate and become cities in their own right. This leaves the people in these communities at the mercy of their Board of Supervisors, most of which do not live in their community. When five people are making decisions for a group of people and only one person in that group lives in their community, that is not democracy. I will fight to change the way tax money is distributed to newly incorporated cities so that they are not punished for exercising their right to self-determination.

The next item on my agenda for Castro Valley will be for the people to be given the chance to determine their own future. The people of Castro Valley should be the masters of their fate. But they should be able to do so without being penalized for it. As I stated earlier, I will fight to make sure that if incorporation is approved, the new city will have access to the same tax revenue as any other city. The people of Castro Valley deserve to chart their own future. The future of Castro Valley should not be determined by five people in Oakland. It should be decided by Castro Valley residents, elected by Castro Valley residents and answerable to Castro Valley residents.

If you choose incorporation, you will be in charge of your zoning, taxation and advocacy in the region and Sacramento. You will not be beholden to others from outside your community to make decisions for you. I will fight for you to have the opportunity to decide for yourself if incorporation is what you want.

There are many other issues I would like to tackle when elected. Issues like reforming our failing schools and amending AB109 to make our streets safer. But those are issues that are universal and are not particular to Castro Valley. Your right to self-determination is an issue that is specific to your community, but universally understood.

During this campaign, I have walked nearly every neighborhood in this District. I have been to School Board meetings, Chamber of Commerce mixers, forums, City Council and other organization meetings. I have met literally thousands of people. One of our most fun events was participating in the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade with my daughter and nieces. The still like to see the video of us going past the grand stand.

It’s been a pleasure speaking to all of you about the issues you care about: whether while knocking on doors or standing in front of Safeway. I promise to always be accessible to hear your concerns and act upon them. I will not just show up every two years around election season. Together we can make California Golden again for our children and their children. I hope I have your respect and I hope I have earned your support.

Contact Info:

PO Box 1831

Union City, CA 94587-6891

Website: www.patinofor20thassembly.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/patinoforassembly2014

Twitter: @Jaime_Patino