OC Register Endorses Andrew Do for OC Supervisor

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/andrew-718153-county-bui.html

The largest newspaper in Orange County endorses current Supervisor Andrew Do in his bid for re-election.

"...In his nearly 17 months on the board after winning a special election, Andrew Do has taken a role of leadership, helping craft county policies that prioritize public safety, creating a more open and transparent county government and tackling our region’s homelessness crisis.

Mr. Do has our endorsement and the voters would be wise to return him to office."

Supervisor Andrew Do is well liked in the community and is known for his outreach efforts to ensure that all voices are being heard.  He ability to focus on issues and cut away the politics has enable him to work with oppositions to tackling problems.   Recently, he was in Sacramento for a ceremonial event with the State Senate.   President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D) half joking told him, you are next on my target list.  

Ash Kalra vs. Madison Nguyen

The California State Assembly race for D27 is getting intense between the two main candidates - former San Jose Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen and City Councilmember Ash Kalra.

Nguyen and Ash both have raised the maximum limit of $550,000 for their respective campaign.  But Nguyen with the huge support from PACs is raising a concern of out-of-state special interest groups trying to influence the race.  It is unusual to have this much money pouring into a primary for a state assembly seat.   Just for comparison,  two years ago, the Republican Party and PACs spent $3 million for the whole state senatorial race to support Janet Nguyen and her campaign against Jose Solorio.  And it was considered to be a crucial race for the Republican Party to prevent the Democratic Party of an absolute majority in the State Senate.

So far local PACs have spent about $400,000 to support Kalra while special interest groups have put it over $1.7 million to support Nguyen.


Here is a press release by Ash Kalra's campaign.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 31, 2016

CONTACT: Michael Terris

(415) 308-0867

Out-of-State and Billionaire Special Interest Groups Spend $1.7 Million to Buy a Seat in the California State Assembly

San Jose, CA — So-called school reform special interest groups funded by out-of-state and Republican billionaires have waged war on City Councilmember Ash Kalra. By putting in over $1.7 million into trying to get Madison Nguyen elected, they are hoping to buy a majority for privatizing public schools in the California State Assembly.

"There are seven candidates running, but I am the only one under attack from these billionaire special interests because they know they can never buy my vote," responded Ash Kalra, San Jose City Councilmember and a leading candidate for California State Assembly. “I am proud to have the support of thousands of teachers, nurses and school employees who are standing up for the integrity of our public schools.”

Kalra is also taking hits from the California Apartment Association funded by wealthy real estate developers because he has consistently fought them to bring more affordable housing options to San Jose. Both the so-called school reform and developer special interests are using false and misleading statistics to try to fool voters into opposing Ash Kalra.

A recent San Jose Mercury News article highlighted the misleading statistics being used to attack Kalra. They falsely accuse Kalra of having a low attendance record, when the real statistics show that he has a 97.4% attendance record, which actually bests his opponent’s own record in City Hall.

“The voters of the 27th Assembly District are too smart not to see through this blatant attempt to buy this election,” said San Jose Teachers Association President Jennifer Thomas. “San Jose teachers are 100% behind Ash Kalra for Assembly because we know he will stand up to out-of-state billionaires who wants to buy this election and privatize our public schools.”

Diep Lan and His Campaign for D4 City Council

This is an interesting turn of event.  The race will be closer than it will be with the support of Kansen Chu for Lan Diep. __________________________________ Dear Friends: I have done my best not to bombard you with fundraising emails this election cycle, but I really need your help right now. With only seven days left before Election Day, I hope to send out one last mailer to voters reminding them to vote for me. There are about 40,000 registered voters in District 4 and as you can imagine, the cost of printing and postage to mail to just a fraction of them costs a significant amount money. If you haven't already contributed $600,please give what you can up to the $600 limit. This final mailer will be important to help voters understand what's at stake in this election. This past May 24th, a representative from Google Fiber came to make a presentation before the San Jose City Council. As you may know, Google Fiber is an internet service that provides connection speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second. This service is currently only available in five cities across America, and every major city, including San Jose, has been vying to become the next Google Fiber city. Given time to question the Google Fiber representative, this is what my opponent, Councilman Manh Nguyen, asked: "How competitive is your company compared to internet companies like Comcast and AT&T?" "Is Google Fiber cheaper than Comcast and AT&T?" "How cheaper?" "Will Google Fiber be faster than Comcast and AT&T?" "Between Google Fiber, Comcast, and AT&T, which company provides the best service?" "By approving this project, do we provide any special treatment to Google?" "So what kind of the benefit that this project will bring to the people in San Jose? Both in terms of pricing and in terms of the internet?" "And what type of benefit that Google Fiber get from this project?" As the capital of the Silicon Valley, San Jose should have elected officials who know enough about trends in technology that they don't have to ask basic questions like "what kind of benefit" lighting fast internet like Google Fiber would bring to San Jose. But unfortunately, what the Mercury News editorial board says about Manh Nguyen is true: "Nguyen has not impressed in office, although he has stood with Liccardo on key votes. He comes to meetings ill-prepared and asks questions that already have been answered." Personally, I believe we deserve more than a councilman who comes to meetings ill-prepared and asks questions that have already been answered either because he does not understand what has been discussed, or because he is not paying attention. I believe north San Jose can do better than a councilman who prefers part-time staff because he expects his employees to have time to campaign for him. District 4 can do better than a councilman who has been accused of using his council staff to campaign for him on city time and who just recently has been caught bundling official city literature with his own reelection material. I know that I am more qualified than Manh Nguyen to represent our community on the City Council, and I hope that you agree. But there are a lot of voters out there not paying attention this primary season and with Election Day only a week away, I need your help getting their attention. Please help me fund one last mailer by making a contribution in any amount - $10, $25, $50, $100 or more - up to the $600 contribution limit. Even if you've already contributed but are within the $600 cap, please give again. Any amount will be appreciated. With your help, I hope to have good news to report back in a week's time. With gratitude, P.S. I'm really serious this time. How much money I raise will determine my endgame for this election. Please give what you can up to the $600 limit!

Copyright © 2016 Lan Diep for San José, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you chose to receive emails from the Lan Diep for San José City Council Campaign. Our mailing address is: Lan Diep for San José 1750 Lundy Ave., #611084 San José, CA 95161

Viet Thanh Nguyen Wins Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/22/pulitzer-prize-fiction-viet-thanh-nguyen-the-sympathizer

Viet Thanh Nguyen became the first Vietnamese-American to win the prestigious literary award and a $10,000 check.  He was born in Vietnam and grew up in San Jose.   He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1992 and received his Ph.D. in literature in 1997.  He is currently a professor at USC while his wife, Lan Duong, is an associate professor at UC Riverside.   His brother, Tung Thanh Nguyen, is a well known professor of medicine at UCSF.

The story he wrote, even though fiction, mirrors the many facets of Vietnamese people and their complex life in the Bay Area during the 1980s.   The unique thing about the Vietnamese-American diaspora is that they always look back to their homeland 3,000 miles away.   Their lives are interwoven with a driven zeal to action to help their homeland be freed of the current communist regime.

Thuy Nguyen Becomes the First Vietnamese-American Community College President

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2016/04/21/foothill-college-names-new-president

Just one additional note to the coverage, Thuy Nguyen is married to the first Vietnamese-American Superior Court Judge in the Bay Area.  He was the second Vietnamese-American to become a judge in the US.  The first was Wendy Duong in Houston in the early 1990s.

LSI had the opportunity to invite her to be a speaker at a conference in Oregon more than a decade ago and she was impressive then at that time as a young community activist and  leader as well as  an aide to then State Assemblywoman Wilma C.

Did Garden Grove City Councilman Phat Bui Commit Fraud?

Garden Grove City Councilman Phat T. Bui currently campaigns for  Orange County Supervisor's First District.  As a controversial and brash-talking figure in the Vietnamese-American community in Little Saigon, he carries his reputation well into the City Council ever since he won the election.

He was elected in 2014, riding the endorsement of the former GG Mayor Bruce Broadwater, who subsequently lost his seat due to a corruption scandal.  When in office, he and the current Mayor Bao Nguyen would constantly butt head on many issues.  Nguyen defeated Broadwater in the general election.

His many claims to fame as he touts in his current campaign is that he is a successful owner of a software consulting company providing contract work for government agencies. His achievement of the "American's Dream"  through academic, hard work, and shrewd business acumen is what qualified him to be the best supervisor.

As described in his biography, he is particular proud of the fact that when in college (University of Minnesota), he majored in three subjects - math, physics and electrical engineer.   However, there have been rumors in the community about his lack of college degree, contradicting his claim.

Bui is the owner of a software consulting firm called NetResults, LLC.  The firm specializes in providing software services for the state government.   In July 2014, he won a $250,000 contract (REQ0013070) with the  Department of Consumer Affairs, Contractors State License Board.

 As part of his submitted credential, he declared that he received two degrees in 1982 - Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Bachelor of Science in Physics from University of Minnesota

However, a background check shows that he never graduated from the university.

Since the news broke last week in Little Saigon, some of his constituents have questioned him on this matter.  Councilman Phat T. Bui so far is not responding.

Garden Grove City is trying to clean itself of the corruption scandal of its former mayor.  Now the city has another potential ethical issue on its hand - a council member who might have lied about his credential in order to obtain a government contract while he is in office.

Can Councilman Phat Bui Be Prosecuted?

The race for Orange County Supervisor's  First District  is getting heated in Little Saigon.

In his first year in office, Supervisor Andrew Do has built himself quite a strong reputation with  many pro-active programs to help the overall district; thus, it was quite a surprise to see  a challenger within the Vietnamese community to run against him, especially Garden Grove City Councilman Phat Bui.

So far, Bui has declined to comment on why he is running against Andrew Do.

Bui is a registered Republican but tends to support Democratic candidates with big donations.  He gave  Jose Solorio $2,000 for his state assembly race as well as Tom Daly, $2,100 for his.

The community is speculating whether this is a ploy by the OC Democratic Party to split the Vietnamese-American vote in order for their candidate, Santa Ana Councilmember Michele Martinez, to at least get in to the run off in November instead of losing outright in June 7 primary.

Bui was elected to Garden Grove City Council in 2014.  Immediately, he  embroiled in the controversy of rallying the  Little Saigon community to force the city of Riverside to cease its sister-city relationship with Can Tho, Vietnam.  He sent out email encouraged the anti-communist protesters to identity businesses that are doing trades with companies in Vietnam and disrupt their offices with loud demonstration in order to shame them.  He and Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen often clash openly and this has led to his ineffectiveness as a councilmember.   One of the reasons for this adversarial relationship is his strong support for the disgraced former Garden Grove Mayor Bruce Broadwater.

In the Vietnamese-American community, Bui builds his image as an educator who was a "triple major in Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineer", an engineer (as stated in his political donation statement to FPPC and his campaign mailers), CEO of a software consultant firm, and a leader of the Boy Scout's El Capitan District.

Bui mentioned in his biography  that he attended University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and was a "triple major in Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineer".   A quick fact check shows that Bui was at the University of Minnesota from 1976 to 1982, majoring in Physics.   However,  he never graduated from the school.  He left without receiving a degree.

Bui and His Negative Campaign

In his attempt to create a case to justify his running with the voters, Bui decides to go negative early against Do.   He filed a complaint against Do to the FPPC for allegedly violating the Mass Mailing Act.

It is a typical practice for elected officials to send out mailers to inform constituents about events and programs benefiting the community.  Bui complained that Do is sending mailer that featured Andrew Do's name three times.  The law, as he claimed, only allows the name to be featured once.

The blog site Voice of OC ran with the story and started questioning  whether Andrew Do and his colleagues have violated the Mass Mailing Act.

Of course, the whole story becomes a political stunt for Phat Bui and the Voice of OC.   Phat Bui  wants to make a dent into Andrew Do's reputation and Voice of OC, with their funding mostly came from Labor Unions, sensationalizes the story to help elect their preferred candidate to the supervisor'seat, Santa Ana City Councilmember Michele Martinez.

Both Bui and the Voice of OC of course can look up the rules on the FPPC Website.  The law allows three name features, one name to go along with the title and the office the mailer originated, and two other name features to accompany the mailing address.

Supervisors Andrew Do and all other supervisors follow the county protocol of submitting their mailers to county counsel.  The counsel's office then would vet the mailer with the FPPC before they allow it to be sent out.

In order to sensationalize the story further to validate their point that Supervisor Andrew Do violating the law, Voice of OC reported a leaked story about the County Auditor Controller Woolery halted payment of mailers due to possible violation of Mass Mailing Act.   That story was quickly debunked by the auditor controller himself as an internal miscommunication between him and the county counsel.  As far as he is concerned, the mailer is legal and he ordered the payment immediately.

Can Phat Bui be Prosecuted?

Claiming that Supervisor Andrew Do is "corrupted" for putting his name three times on mailers that provided information and programs to help the community,   Phat Bui is on a war path to defeat Andrew Do as part of his  "county corruption" cleanup  by using the media and whoever wants to listen to him.

In his complaint,  he submitted a list of mailers that he claimed Do had sent out in the past year.   Interestingly enough, the list contains other mailers that have not been mailed out along with their schedule.

This document is authentic and it is basically directly from Andrew Do's office.  And according to Do's office,  only three people have access to this document, his chief of staff, his communication director and the communication director's assistant.  His office is considered this document as stolen.

Now how did Phat Bui obtain  a supervisor's private document  is a mystery.  About three months ago, the communication director's assistant left abruptly and went to work the next day for another political office.

LSI is not sure if there is a law against possessing / receiving stolen document from an office of the opponent you are running against; in this case, Phat Bui possessed and made public the stolen document through his corruption complaint against Andrew Do.

With a possible investigation by the county DA, Phat Bui will likely need to provide information sooner or later about his knowledge and involvement in obtaining the stolen document.

Phat Bui also of course might be liable in a civil lawsuit for his action of possessing and distributing stolen document.

Politically, he will be prosecuted  by the public court of opinion for his ill-advised shenanigan.