Peter Kuo is a candidate for California State Senate District 10 in the 2014 General Election. Castro Valley Matters reached out to each candidate and asked for a statement.

I spent much of my childhood in Taiwan, moving to the United States in 1982 when I was 14. My parents were teachers and entrepreneurs in Taiwan, but political persecution had us flee to the US with nothing more than 4 suitcases and a violin. They brought us to California, washing dishes at a restaurant for years in order to ensure my siblings and I had the opportunity to go to college and pursue our dreams. SD10 (running from Castro Valley south along the 880 corridor through North San Jose and Santa Clara) is where we’ve made our home ever since.

Broadly speaking, I will work hard to focus the legislature on the three “E’s”:

Economy. California must be easier to do business with. We need regulations to protect public interests. However, there’s a balancing act California has ignored for decades and it’s forcing companies like Tesla, Toyota, Chevron, Nissan, Campbell’s Soup, Occidental, and others to ship thousands of their jobs to other states. I will work hard to create more economic zones to attract large and small businesses, and will fight to eliminate the $800 yearly state fee for small businesses just starting up.

Education. Our illustrious K-12 and university system was once the pride of America. Political short-sightedness has decimated our schools so they now rank 46^th in the nation. They’re under funded, and academic and extracurricular opportunities are more limited than ever. I will prioritize education funding, and to make sure all your investments in children’s education and extracurricular activities from are tax deductible. We must also never allow SCA5 to become law. College admissions should be based on merit and need, not race. Fighting discrimination with discrimination is a poor strategy.

Energy. Renewable energy doesn’t have to be a partisan issue—there’s something in it for everyone, from reducing greenhouse gasses to creating new jobs to eradicating threats to national security. Some of the greatest advancements in energy technology are being built here in SD10, but we have no state strategy for cultivating it. We need to create hubs for green tech R&D, encourage local production facilities, and cultivate new markets so we can protect the environment, eliminate our dependency on foreign oil, AND continue to innovate with more efficient and powerful energy.

There are, of course, many issues beyond these three, and I will do everything I can to help fight for your needs transparently and swiftly. Public debate should not be seemingly shrouded in secrecy as we’ve seen with the Daughtrey building and redevelopment.

I’m aware that for unincorporated communities like Castro Valley, the issues are compounded by a lack of local or fiscal control, and a need to request local priorities through a county government who isn’t necessarily obligated to fund unincorporated local needs. Castro Valley is the fifth largest unincorporated community in the entire state: it deserves stronger representation. I will will work for you in Sacramento and help facilitate your needs with the county to ensure Castro Valley residents have a voice at the table.

Unfortunately, unincorporated communities have little choice but to rely on their county. It’s a difficult governance model and while incorporating has its own challenges, if Castro Valley chooses to incorporate, I will be there, at your side, fighting for it every step of the way. Each community knows its own needs better than anyone else could.

We need fresh leadership in Sacramento. The lack of cooperation, civility, and transparency between our elected officials resembles what my family saw back in our days in Taiwan. But our dreams as a family and a community have not changed; I want to ensure future generations have the same opportunities. As President Kennedy inspired us, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer.” We owe it our kids to be civil and to find common ground compromises so that all Californians can feel they have proper representation in Sacramento. It would be my honor to represent you, your family, and the Castro Valley community.

Peter Kuo is an entrepreneur and small business owner, and a candidate for State Senate, District 10.

peter@kuoforsenate.com

408-256-2898

www.kuoforsenate.com