We won big. ACCOUNTABILITY established

CONGRATULATIONS!  You and I won BIG by defeating Paul Fong by a larger than 20 point margin in Fong's bid for a council seat in San Jose..   Q: What exactly did we win? A:  We won the historic accountability of AsAm elected officials to us.   In the past, almost all AsAm officials raised their campaign funds primarily from AsAms. However, once elected, some of the them have NOT been responsive to our rightful interests.  This sad situation must be corrected.  Otherwise, AsAms will never get to be equal citizens through the political process. Q: How do we get AsAm elected officials to be accountable to us? A:  We drive those bad AsAm officials, who are unfaithful to us, out of politics.  Such actions will please the responsive AsAm officials, while warning the bad ones. Believe me, no elected AsAm official will want to be another Paul Fong. Q: Are you sure that the mere defeat of Paul Fong will be sufficient to establish such an IMPORTANT and beneficial tradition for the AsAm community? A:  It is not just the defeat of Paul Fong.  We have already driven a bigger politicians, former Sen. Leland Yee, out of politics earlier. Q: Really?  Tell me more. A:  A number of CA elected officials in CA were not attentive to the rightful interests of Asian Ams. in our struggle to stop SCA-5.  Among those, former Sen. Leland Yee and Assemblyman Paul Fong were the worst.  Hence, as soon as SCA-5  was stopped, 80-20 announced to drive these two unfaithful AsAm officials out of politics to set example for others. On 3/21/14 80-20 announced to punish Yee.  On 3/26/14, Yee's illegal arms-trading news broke.  On 3/27/14, Yee withdrew from his CA Secretary of State race,  Later, he was stripped of his membership in the CA senate.   80-20 PAC announced to defeat two.  We defeated both!  That is a fact that all AsAm elected officials will pay attention to. Q: What made you think that 80-20 has caused Fong's defeat? A:  A good question.  80-20 doesn't claim to be solely responsible for defeating Paul Fong.  The major credit goes to Fong's opponent Chappie Jones. Howeer, 80-20 is certainly an important force in defeating Fong.  Here are 4 evidences: (1) Chappie Jones stated, after learning of his victory, that "We thought it would be more of a nail-biter." Instead he won by more than 20 points. (2) The Unions supported Paul Fong and Raul Peralez in the City Council seats' races.  Peralez won handily, while Fong lost badly. (3) 80-20's last 3 e-newsleters urged CA AsAms to either talk against Fong or vote against him.  80-20 also bought tens of thirty-second radio ads against Fong, airing them for 9 days prior to the election date.  80-20 also worked with SVCA to recruit volunteers to work for Chappie Jones. (4) While 80-20 directed the "defeat Fong"  campaign independently of Chappie Jones, as was required by election laws, Chappie is likely aware of 80-20's effort.  He emailed 80-20 President S.B. Woo, to thank him. 80-20 will likely die at the end of 2016, unless it succeeds in raising $1 million per year for 5 years by Oct. 21, 2015 - a war chest to compensate for the retirement of S. B. Woo.  To donate, click here.        S. B. Woo, a volunteer President, 80-20 National AsAm Political Action Committee, Inc.   http://www.80-20initiative.net

Right lessons from stopping SCA5

Q: SCA 5 is old news.  Why is 80-20 rehashing SCA 5 a days before the general election?   A: As the election approaches, 80-20 is increasingly aware that some of us have NOT drawn the right lessons from our magnificent victory in stopping SCA 5.         Q: What are the proper lessons that we should have learned? A: Two major lessons: (1) Had there been a tradition of accountability by the AsAm elected officials to the AsAms, the 3 Ch-Am senators would not have voted for SCA 5.  Consequently, SCA 5 would have died in the Senate.  Conclusion? We MUST have accountability.              (2) Political parties have always known that the power of a party is small when compared with the power of an enraged constituent.  Hence, for reasons of self-preservation, political parties usually give their elected legislators a lot of leeway if a specific vote will cause the legislators to enraging his/er constituents.  Our victory in STOPPING SCA 5 testified eloquently to that fact.  None of the AsAm legislators has been punished by the Democratic Party in CA, to 80-20's knowledge. Q: What qualification do you have to speak on such matters? A:  I was the President of the Delaware Senatefor 4 years. I was in a position to know. Q: Why is 80-20 so outspoken in wanting to defeat former Sen Leland Yee, and Assemblyman Paul Fong in his coming San Jose race? A:  To establish a tradition of accountability by the AsAm elected officials to the AsAm community, by punishing those who have been unfaithful to our rightful interest.    Q:  Why is such severe punishment necessary? A: Political parties, for understandable reasons, want to exert party discipline, bearing in mind that the US is not China.  In the US party discipline is very lax.         An elected officials who has bucked the party leadership too many times could be punished. Examples are striping a desirable committee assignment from that official, delaying the passage of his/her legislative proposals, and less election support. Hence, the AsAm community must let our elected officials know that if they betray us in a major way, then our punishment for them will be worse - the death of their political career. Q: There are talks that establishing accountability is NOT enough.  AsAms in CA must vote for Republicans to deny the Democratic Party a super-majority in CA's 2 legislatures.  Do you agree with it? A: No. No!  However, if I were a leader in CA's Republican Party, I'll certainly argue that way to fool the AsAms into voting for Republican legislators.  :-)    80-20's goal is different from that of either the Republican or the Dem. Party.  We want AsAms to be politically knowledgable & strong. Hence, we always tell you the truth.    80-20 is trying to use the 2014 election to establish the historic first tradition of accountability. Help vote against Paul Fong.  Tell your friends in San Jose how he refused to help us during our struggle against SCA 5, and how he shamelessly claimed credit as soon as SCA 5 was pronounced dead by CA senate.         S. B. Woo, a volunteer President, 80-20 National AsAm Political Action Committee, Inc.  http://www.80-20initiative.net

Q&A: The importance of this election

Q: What's the prospect that Democrats will retain control of the Senate?

A: Not that hot, unless Asian Ams, blacks and Hispanics will turn out in unusually large numbers in contested Senate races to support the Democrats.  We hope that you will and get your friends to join you.

Why support them?  To pay our debt.  The Senate under the Democrats' control has TRIPLED the number of AsAm federal life-tenured judges, including increasing the number of AsAm federal Appeals Courts judges from ZERO to FOUR.

"Rewarding the politicians who share our concerns and punishing those who don't" is in the best of democratic traditions.  It is the best way to help ourselves WIN equal opportunity!

Q: How does this election impact SCA 5?

A: There are two schools of thoughts.  

School 1: Some in CA are advocating to use this election to help make sure that Democrats in CA no longer enjoy a 2/3 majority in either the Senate or the Assembly.   Why?  So that SCA 5 could not be revived by the Democrats, because reviving requires a positive 2/3 vote in CA's Senate and Assembly.

School 2: 80-20 thinks that there is a much better way of stopping SCA 5.  It'll benefit AsAms in not only CA but also nationally.

Q:  80-20 knows politics.  What is 80-20's method?

A: Use this election to induce a MUCH STRONGER accountability from  AsAm officials nationally, by defeating Paul Fong for NOT serving our interest during the STOP SCA 5 struggle.  Such a defeat will delight AsAm officials who have been faithful to us.  It'll warn the others.  

In addition, SCA 5 can NEVER be revived in CA .  It is because whether the Democratic Party achieves a 2/3 majority in both the Senate & the Assembly in this election or not, it can NOT maintain its 2/3 majority in a future SCA 5 vote.  All AsAm Democratic senators and Assembly-persons will vote against it.  None of these officials will want to be the next Leland Yee or Paul Fong.

Logically,  we must FIRST get the AsAm officials to take our rightful interests seriously, before other officials will be mindful of our rightful interests.  

Fellow Asian Americans: 

Let's use this opportunity to tackle the chronic problem of insufficient accountability from our own officials.

Q: Is there something personal between you and Paul Fong? 

A: No, I don't know Paul Fong at all, haven't talked to him and haven't met him.  It is NOT personal.  It is for the benefit of the entire AsAm community.  

     FORWARD this email to your AsAm friends in San Jose, and urge them to vote for Paul Fong's opponent, Chappie Jones.  Wall Street Journal recently published a quote  praised Chappie's leadership and vision for San Jose.

 S. B. Woo, a volunteer

President, 80-20 National AsAm Political Action Committee, Inc. 

http://www.80-20initiative.net

80-20's endorsement for this election

80-20 Respectfully Recommends... NATIONWIDE:    VOTE for all Democratic senators.  Hopefully, the AsAm vote may help maintain the Democratic majority in the senate.      WHY?  To thank the Democrats-controlled Senate for tripling the number of Asian Am life-tenured federal judges, nominated by Pres. Obama.  Additionally, we now have FOUR AsAm Appeals Court judges instead of ZERO.  A Supreme Court judge could be next.  Then, we'll never fear internment again.  Otherwise, the AsAm Supreme Court Justice will be interned too. Q: Is this another evidence that 80-20 is a Democratic front? A: "Reward the politicians who share our concerns, and punish those who don't" has always been 80-20's motto.  It's the most reliable ways to increaseAsAm political clout!   The Republicans need to do things for us first, before we'll reward them.  To illustrate, in 2010, when a California Republican  gubernatorial candidate, Meg Whitman, answered 80-20's questionnaire  and her Democratic opponent, Jerry Brown, didn't, we  endorsed Meg Whitman !  80-20 is courageous and straight as an arrow.                            CALIFORNIA (where 35% of the AsAms live): VOTE for Republican Catharine Baker in the16 Assembly District race.        WHY?  Because the Silicon Valley Chinese Association, a good organization, strongly recommends it and has asked for 80-20's help. VOTE for Chappie Jones in San Jose's 1st City Council District race.      WHY?  To punish Paul Fong, who was UN-faithful to interests of AsAms, who are 28% of the constituents in his 28th Assembly district.  He didn't oppose SCA 5 when thousands of AsAms in his district appealed to him.  However, upon the death of SCA 5, he jumped out to claim credit.  Slick but shameless!      Q:  Why oppose an Asian Am candidate? A:  First, why elect an AsAm politician who is UN-faithful to our interests?        Secondly, in politics, un-electing a politician is much more powerful than helping to elect one.  To illustrate, when the Jewish political organization AIPAC is credited for defeating a number of elected officials over the years, whenever AIPAC speaks, politicians listen!        As soon as SCA-5 was dead, 80-20 declared to UN-elect Sen.Leland Yee and Assemblyman Paul Fong for their neglect of our community'srightful interests.  Yee was already driven out of politics.  Help defeat PaulFong.  Together, we'll induce AsAm elected officials nationwide to be more ACCOUNTABLE to our rightful interests!  It'll be a significant step! S. B. Woo, a volunteer President, 80-20 National AsAm Political Action Committee, Inc.  http://www.80-20initiative.net

The Record Against Paul Fong of San Jose

Q: 80-20 usually focuses on Presidential races.  Why focus on Paul Fong, running for a city district 1 seat in San Jose?

A: 80-20's goal is find the most effective way to increase the political voice of  Asian Ams, whether through presidential election or local elections.

Q: Why Paul Fong?

A: After the "STOP SCA-5" experience in California, 80-20 sadly realized that the AsAm community in CA, where 35 % of Asian Ams reside, was NOT holding its elected AsAm officials accountable to defend its rightful interest.  It wasn't just Paul Fong.  Former CA Sen. Leland Yee was another.  Leland Yee has already been driven out of politics, when his arms trade deal was exposed.  Paul Fong is unfortunately still in politics.  Fong didn't speak for us as an elected official.  Indeed, he seems bent on using us or even doing us in for his own benefit.

Q: That is a very strong accusation.  Can you give concrete evidences?

A: Yes.  2 well-known public records.

    (1) In 2011, Paul Fong proposed banning shark fin in CA, without giving the  AsAms in CA adequate time to adjust to such a ban. For what? Save sharks?  Compare him against the US senators from tobacco-producing states, who gave their constituents decades to adjust, even when smoking cost human lives. 

    (2) In 2014, Fong was the head of the AsAm Caucus in CA Assembly when SCA-5 passed the Senate & required a 2/3 majority to pass the Assembly. Fong sat on the fence in spite of appeals from thousand of AsAms for him tostate his opposition to SCA-5.  However, on the day SCA-5 was dead, Fong jumped out to claim credit and tried to raise campaign contributions. 80-20

understands and sympathizes with the unique needs of elected officials.  Still, in this case, we found Fong's Machiavellian behavior disgusting!

    

Now, Fong runs for a City Council seat in San Jose, because he'll be term limited out of the 29th Assembly district.  The mainstream media seems to see him as a slick unprincipled politician just like we do. The Mercury News (MN), which has ample time to observe Fong, endorsed his opponent, Chappie Jones, with a cutting comment on Fong.  MN has this to say about Fong.

"In District 1, Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino, bought a condo in San Jose last year to be labor's candidate for council. His Assembly district included only part of District 1 until two years ago, when redistricting added the rest. We can't resist repeating our favorite Fong quote: 'I know the San Jose area very well because I've driven by it every day, too.' Fortunately, his opponent, Chappie Jones, is the real deal  . . . "  (Emphasis added)   

Click here for the complete Mercury News editorial endorsement.

Q:  Powerful evidences!  But he is only a local politician. So what if 80-20 succeeds in getting him out of politics?

A: A good question!  Getting him out of politics will be a message heard by ALL AsAm elected officials NATIONWIDE! 

As soon as SCA-5 was dead, 80-20 declared to defeat 2 AsAm politicians, Leland Yee and Paul Fong, to set examples.  They were particularly unfaithful to our community's rightful interests during the SCA-5 episode.  If both are no longer around after the November election, this message will be registered and welcomed by all good AsAm elected officials.

That message together with the bloc vote which 80-20 leads in presidential elections give Asian Ams the political voice that we need to be EQUAL CITIZENS of this great nation.  

 

                  HELP!  FORWARD this to your friends in San Jose.

S. B. Woo, a volunteer

President, 80-20 National AsAm PAC, Inc. (http://www.80-20initiative.net)

PS: On the strong recommendation of SVCA of CA, 80-20 endorses Catharine Baker for CA Assembly district 16.