OOTI – Alameda Candidates that support the LGBT community

I deleted some of the names for privacy issues just left the canidate info….

FYI/Alameda Candidates that support the LGBT community (our recommendation and a little history) Alameda has come a long way since we first moved here 14 years ago. Back then, Alameda was in the local news for racial issues in its police department. Not long after that (in Alameda years), the City made the national news as an Island of Intolerance when Mayor Appezzato’s refusal to issue a Gay Pride Proclamation unleashed a storm of bigotry and enlightenment here. Ralph Appezzato and city did change.

Since then, Alameda has grown tremendously, and, while not perfect, has much to be proud of. It took years of hard work by the queer community to bring Alameda into the 20th, and then the 21st, century, where diversity is respected and embraced, and wide-based community involvement is welcomed and encouraged.

While serving on City Council, Beverly Johnson emerged as a force for progressive, forward-thinking change. Always a supporter of Alameda LGBT community, Mayor Beverly Johnson together with Council members Frank Mataresse, and Tony Daysog passed an historic city ordinance that made life on the island more equitable for its gay and Lesbian residents. (FYI/ Marie Gilmore wasn’t on the council yet. She is on our side.)

Mayor Beverly Johnson has proved her commitment to preserving our unique small-town character and high quality of life so rare in dense urban areas. Realizing how special and valuable this is Mayor Johnson has pursued the acquisition of more open space, more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly development, safer streets, and stronger schools. She has told us and showed us in many ways that she supports the LGBT community and our families.

Under Mayor Johnson, we have seen positive changes in our city Planning Department, a new City Manager and Police Chief take charge, and a new library at long last built. While every decision cannot please everyone, Major Beverly Johnson is honest, loyal, and highly qualified. She has worked tirelessly for an extended number of years on our behalf, in exchange for nothing but the satisfaction that she has done the right thing.

In Alameda, we are lucky to have such highly qualified people serve, and for this reason, we welcome the new candidates Lena Tam for City Council and Nancy Hoffman for Board of Hospital Directors. Both of these highly educated and qualified women, like Mayor Beverly Johnson, have put in years of community service, most recently to make Alameda Hospital financially stable. We look forward to them playing new and expanded roles in our city. Our current City Council has worked so well together that we see Lena Tam taking up Tony Daysog seat, and complimenting our current City Council with her strong community focus and wealth of expertise.

…Nancy has both a medical and legal background and sound fiscal sense that she will bring to the Hospital Board. Vote for Nancy and support a member of our community.

With that, we want to extend our special thanks Tony Daysog for his staunch support on LGBT and neighborhood issues, and we wish him the best of luck in his bid for AC Transit District Director.

Finally, we want to thank Mayor Beverly Johnson for all that she has done for us, and hope very much to see her continue as Mayor. Accessible, responsive, and always open to our concerns, Mayor Beverly Johnson has earned our trust and endorsement. It is in this spirit that we encourage all Alamedans to vote for Beverly Johnson as Mayor of Alameda this November 7.