Betty Yee for State Board of Equalization, First District

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

Campaign Name: Betty Yee 2006
Address: 601 Van Ness Ave, #E3-438, San Francisco, CA 94102
Campaign Phone: 415-759-8355
Campaign Fax: 415-731-0963
Campaign E-mail: bettyyee2006@yahoo.com
Campaign Website: www.bettyyee2006.com

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

State Board of Equalization, First District, Assumed Open Seat, 2005-present
Chief Deputy Director, CA Department of Finance, Appointive, 1999-2003, Lead in developing/negotiating State Budget

If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

N/A

YOUTH ISSUES

1. Good schools from pre-K to graduate school require adequate funding and innovative leadership. How would you use your elected office to improve public education and/or make higher education affordable and accessible for young people in our community?

As a member of the State Board of Equalization, I would continue to vigorously uphold the state’s tax laws in the tax appeals the Board decides and in the programs the Board administers to ensure every all taxpayers are paying their fair share. Every precious tax dollar owed to the State must be paid to ensure revenues for vital public services such as education are protected. These revenues would then be available to support increased per-pupil funding in our K-12 schools and to support the buyout of student fee increases and increases in financial aid for our public higher education institutions.

2. How will you use your office to combat enduring racial segregation and inequality in our education system?

In addition to being a public voice to oppose and end racial segregation and inequality in our education system, I would continue to set an example for showcasing the value of embracing diversity by creating meaningful internship and employment opportunities that give those in underrepresented communities an opportunity to gain meaningful work and life experiences and mentorship.

3. Young people face special challenges to obtaining health insurance and many go without. How would you use your office to work towards making health insurance available to all?

I would be a voice to advocate for a single payer system to ensure a basic level of health care for all who need to be in a publicly funded health care program. Additionally, I would examine tax policies that could help address the high costs of health care, especially prescription drug costs, as well as policies that could provide an incentive for employers to provide jobs that pay a living wage and provide health care benefits. These policies could include tax increases to augment resources for addressing the problem of the uninsured in California.

4. The war in Iraq has claimed the lives of too many young people from our community. Money spent on the war is needed for healthcare and education programs that young people in our community sorely lack. Nobody wants to cut and run from Iraq. But our country and community needs an exit strategy. How would you use your office to bring our troops home?

I would use the opportunities I have for reaching out to my constituents to speak about the issues of funding for the war in Iraq being at the expense of domestic programs (e.g., education, health care, social services, etc.), the need for a phased plan to bring our troops home, and the need for California to create cutting-edge technologies so we may reduce our reliance on oil and other petroleum products.

5. Women’s right to choose is under attack in our country. Young women suffer especially from curtailed access to reproductive health services. How would you use your office to protect a woman’s right to choose and/or expand access to reproductive health services?

I have been life-long advocate for reproductive choice and will continue to be a spokeswoman on this issue. I will vigorously oppose any attempts to limit reproductive choice or cut reproductive health care, and again, make sure the state’s revenues are protected through my work on the Board to ensure funding is protected/expanded for reproductive health services.

I was an early opponent of Proposition 73 on the November 8, 2005 Special Election ballot and worked hard in ensuring its defeat through press conferences/releases and walking precincts.

6. Young people entering the workforce need good jobs with fair pay and benefits. Employers like Wal-Mart don’t offer a bright future to young people in search of work. How will you use your office to create good jobs and support young people who want improve their working conditions by forming unions?

I support the right of workers to join unions to address working conditions and economic issues such as compensation and benefits. Additionally, I have always been committed to helping those on my staff obtain the necessary experience, training, and professional development to pursue promotional opportunities. To the extent young people enter the workforce oftentimes working in service jobs, I remain committed to ensuring the payment of the minimum wage with periodic increases.

7. How will you use your office to make housing more affordable for low and moderate income young people?

The Board oversees the property tax exemption for low-income and affordable housing projects where there is a nonprofit entity acting as the managing general partner with a developer of such housing. In doing so, the Board sets forth conditions for eligibility for the exemption and could ensure such housing makes provisions for young people either in affordable rents or in assistance for young potential homebuyers.

8. Identify two challenges to San Francisco’s young people in the context of the position you seek? What specific commitment will you make to address these issues if elected?

The high cost of living and how to move ahead financially are two challenges for young people in San Francisco. To address these issues, I would incorporate as part of my constituent and taxpayer outreach program, seminars and workshops focused on financial literacy for young people to help them establish and build assets.

9. What are the main challenges facing the city of San Francisco in the context of this position? How will you address those issues if elected?

The main challenges facing San Francisco are also tremendous assets: the ethnic diversity of the city and the broad array of small businesses established here. San Francisco’s ethnic diversity poses challenges such as the lack of ethnically diverse representation in government and the inability to effectively provide services to these communities. Additionally, the broad array of small businesses in San Francisco poses challenges such as how to fairly regulate them.

If elected, I would be honored to continue my service on the Board as a member of the Asian Pacific Islander American community. I would provide in-language educational seminars for taxpayers in our ethnic communities and for small businesses to help them better understand their state tax requirements and minimize their compliance burden.

11. Have you collaborated with young people in your community work in the past (list specific examples)? What value did you experience in working with young activists? How are young people involved in your campaign?

Yes, I have collaborated with young people in my community work in the past, as follows: mentored young people in legislative internships and fellowships; founded and developed the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project to expose high school students to the public policy, public service, and political arenas; and recruited and worked with young activists in political organizations (e.g., National Women’s Political Caucus) and in election GOTV efforts.

The values I experience(d) in working with young activists are being exposed to the perspectives, challenges, and issues young people face in our diverse, complex society today; recognizing the perceived apathy associated with young people is misplaced and is really a result of a lack of opportunities for young people to articulate and engage on issues of concern to them; and the amazing commitment by many young activists to make a difference in their lives and the lives of those around them.

I have been providing opportunities for young people to be involved in my campaign for the State Board of Equalization: from volunteering to help with database management to participating in events planning, state and local Democratic party activities, and constituent outreach.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR YOUTH
Please describe in sufficient detail at least one of your accomplishments that has improved the lives of young people. These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking. These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life.

In 1990, I co-founded the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project, a statewide nonprofit organization to expose high school youth of Asian Pacific Islander descent to the public policy, public service, and political arenas. The impetus for this was the lack of Asian Pacific Islander American representation in our State Legislature and the lack of a program to expose young people to opportunities in the public policy, public service, and political arenas in hopes of their potentially pursuing public office in their career paths.

The Project sponsors an annual conference in Sacramento for 50 students from high schools throughout the state and features workshops about developing leadership skills, enhancing public speaking skills, advocacy, and the legislative process. To date, over 800 students have participated in the annual conference, and many have proceeded to assume leadership roles in college student government and seeking elective office. The Project recently expanded to include a college program.

From this experience, the skills and capabilities I believe apply to the office I am seeking to retain are mentoring young people and creating opportunities for those in underrepresented communities (e.g., young people, women, members of ethnic communities, etc.) to participate or engage in public service. I believe my over 20 years of public service experience gives me the ability to provide guidance to young people about careers in public service, public policy, or politics. There is a continuing need to develop a pipeline of leadership, and I hold a personal commitment as one in elective office to help develop that pipeline by encouraging young people to pursue opportunities to assume leadership positions.

EXPERIENCE
Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek. Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved. Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life. Please explain how your experience would make you an effective advocate for young people as an office holder.

1962 to 1982: Worked in my parents’ laundry and dry cleaning business and served as a translator for them in business transactions. This experience gave me insight into the operation of a small business and the tax and other regulatory requirements to which a small business is subject.

1972 to 1975: Assumed leadership roles in high school student government that included participation in decisions relating to student curriculum, teacher recruitment, academic department head appointments, and community service projects. These experiences exposed me to the opportunity to work with school administration officials while representing diverse student concerns and perspectives, not unlike my currently representing the diverse communities and businesses in my 21-county State Board of Equalization district.

1972 to Present: Served as a mentor and role model to my siblings, nieces, and nephews regarding getting involved in community and public service. In this capacity, I have stressed the importance of service to improving our communities, especially for those of few means.

1984 to Present: Professional experience as a local county public health commissioner, senior staff to fiscal and policy committees in the State Legislature, Chief Deputy Director for the California Department of Finance, Chief Deputy Director to the State Board f of Equalization Chair, and Acting Member for the First District on the State Board of Equalization. These experiences helped me develop my expertise in state and local finance, including tax policy.

I believe all of these experiences would make me an effective advocate for young people because in addition to my accomplishments for youth described in response to the previous question, I have the ability to work with diverse interests; I value the energy and perspectives of young people; I understand the need to provide mentorship for young people; I recognize the lack of meaningful avenues on which young people may engage in public service and politics; and I respect and appreciate the challenges facing youth today that limit their personal, professional, and financial potential.