Supporter Letter to the Editor

Wed. 05/19/10: By Brielle Johnck, Menlo Park – Union's hit piece on Kishimoto is off base. On May 14, I received a flier from the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council in San Jose that slams Yoriko Kishimoto, candidate for the 21st Assembly District seat based on her alleged obstruction of high-speed rail. As a former Palo Alto mayor who has worked on regional transit policy, Kishimoto realized early the complicated issues regarding high-speed rail and its impact on the mid-Peninsula. She took the leadership to create the Peninsula Cities Consortium that consists of representatives of cities in our area most likely to be affected by high-speed rail. Kishimoto is not an anti-high-speed rail activist, nor a knee-jerk proponent. As an experienced elected official, she has become an advocate for greater transparency and more public involvement in the planning process.

It is puzzling why the Labor Council has gotten involved in the Democratic Party primary between two well-known and respected elected officials. The flier is the kind of hostile hyperbole that voters have seen before — photos of cars sitting in traffic, text filled with buzzwords such as "gridlock," "pollution" and "fewer jobs."
 
The candidate who received this union's endorsement, Rich Gordon, claims to have known nothing about this hit piece. While there's no reason not to believe Mr. Gordon, I do wonder why the AFL-CIO prefers Mr. Gordon to Ms. Kishimoto.
 
There are many issues involving high-speed rail that we are learning more about every week. I am thankful for the time Kishimoto has donated to her constant scrutiny of this statewide project.
 
Voters should think long and hard about this union's involvement in our regional politics. Kishimoto is dedicated to viable regional transit and she is looking out for the interests of all Peninsula residents.
 
Link to Original: http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_15115137?nclick_check=1