Political Science

Please describe why you are interested in serving on the Citizens Redistricting Commission.
As a citizen who has exhibited utmost neutrality to a persons racial background, impartiality to their economic standing, and a lifes mission of service, I would like to be given the opportunity to further this calling and be among the pioneers of the innovative legislation that is about to be implemented in the entirety of the State of California.  I am certain that giving the authority of redistricting to the people of California will result in countless advantages, as this meaningful responsibility will handled by the very people who will be comprising these districts.  Likewise, I believe that all of my lifes experiences have given me the expertise to be able to act and perceive accordingly, with the best intentions directed towards the society.  This verity may be evidenced not only in all of my professional endeavors, but in non-profit organizations that I have had the chance of serving as well. 

Primarily, my reason for wanting to be included in the very first Citizens Redistricting Commission stems from my belief that I have, throughout my professional career, made myself capable with this great responsibility.  More so, I believe that my expertise in various fields, such as in being a Supervisor in the County of Alameda, an Employment Counselor as well as an Eligibility Technician 3 with Gain Employment, in being the PresidentCEO of Continental Research Institute, which is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to bring medical aid to several African countries, and in serving as a Civil Grand Juror, where I held the position of Chairman of the Social Service Committee and the Vice Chair of the Government Oversight Committee, among others, makes me an equitable candidate in the aforementioned role especially since I have displayed characteristics that are based on racial equality, sincere public service, and in ensuring the dignity of our inherent political structure.                   
           
Please describe your ability to be impartial, as discussed in Regulation 60800.  You may include with this description any occupational, academic, volunteer, or other life experiences you have had that demonstrate this ability.

I believe I have displayed the characteristics to be unbiased and impartial to any individual, political group, or geographical area, especially in my endeavors as a pert of the 19-member Civil Grand Juror.  As what was aforementioned, I had been elected as the Chairman of the Social Services Committee and as the Vice Chair of the Government Oversight Committee, where my responsibilities call on me to be forthright and vigilant of any abuses perpetrated by any of the elected officials.  Here, I have been successful in leading the G.O.C. in its investigation of an entire citys council members, its city managers, and the professionals of that affluent community. 

This was particularly evidenced as we received unofficial reports of violations such as allegations of conflicts of interests, misuse of government properties, and of violations of the Brown Act.  The targeted individuals were then issued subpoenas to appear before the grand jury as part of our investigation, and were precluded from bringing with them their attorneys in the grand jury room.  After the completion of our investigation, I took a stroll poll and realized that a sufficient number of members were in favor of indictments due to willful misconduct in office by public officials.  After two weeks of further discussions, I was able to convince my colleagues that a strong-worded report was more appropriate and would prove to be much productive than what was initially planned.  In the final analysis, our published report gained a wide circulation. Two members of the city council were defeated in re-elections, and the third offender decided against seeking a re-election.  This case offered me an opportunity to effectively use my skills to achieve a successful outcome without causing political crisis or inflicting any avoidable hardships on the parties involved. 

Please describe your appreciation for Californias diverse demographics and geography, as discussed in Regulation 60805.

My responsibilities, both with my professional and voluntary undertakings, have allowed me to view firsthand Californias inherent diverse population, geographically as well as demographically.  This is especially true since majority of my past and present duties necessitated dealing with Californians as they seek to better their economic standings through employment, of which I had been tasked the responsibility to accept them according to the job description and their respective competitiveness. 

My experiences had brought me to the different regions of our great State.  One is in the County of Alameda, where I was the Program Supervisor responsible for reviewing the job performances of Employment Counselors.  Likewise, I represented the County in meetings with other government agencies and community-based organizations.  I was also an Employment Counselor of G.A.I.N., where I managed and tracked the participants activities through education, training, and employment programs.  Here, it is worth noting that the participants were from different backgrounds in economic, racial, geographic, gender, and religious.  In Treasure Island, CA, I was the Assistant Personnel Officer at the United States Naval Base.  I was in charge of manpower utilization, personnel management, employee counseling, and the coordination of staff transfers between divisions and bases, and had the responsibility to optimize the job performances of several hundreds of employees to ensure that all base functions were covered and executed in the highest military standards.  Lastly, as the President and founder of Continental Research Institute, based in Oakland, I exercise the final authority of determining the hiring of staffs, board memberships, and in implementing disciplinary measures.  From all of my exposures with the different aspects of the populace, I can confidently declare that I have a deep understanding of the diversity of California, not only in its geography, but more so in people that encompasses our State. 
 
Please describe the analytical skills you have that are relevant to serving on the Citizens Redistricting Commission, as discussed in Regulation 60827.

My professional experience covering more than twenty five years of service has benefited me with diverse expertise in various fields, ranging from practical and broad-based management including all aspects of personnel administration, to having the knowledge of country and state computer verification and budget systems, interpretation and application of federal, state, and country regulations, procedures, and policies.  My extensive experience has likewise benefited me with the expertise in the principles of supervision, in resolving complex situations, and in coordinating between departments and government agencies.  I have been successful with my very own non-profit corporation, the Continental Research Institute, in managing its finances, technical assistance, in collaborating with politicians, and in ensuring that all of these were targeted to benefit those of the needing. 

My ability to participate effectively in public hearings, to critically listen to testimonies, and from there form relevant questions leading to truthful conclusions were demonstrated and even furthered during my term as Chairman of the Social Services Committee and Vice Chair of the Government Oversight Committee of the Civil Grand Jury.  Loyal to the virtues upheld by the said organization, I have continued to live by these tenets diligence, impartiality, courage, and responsibility.  In all modesty, I was an effective member of this dynamic group, and with the position entrusted in me by fellow jurors, was a major factor in the decisions that were made. 

Given all these, my accumulated knowledge from all of the experiences with my professional career, non-profit endeavors, and participation in civil-based organizations, have made me aware of the cultural and societal realities prevailing in California.  I am aware of the gravity of the responsibilities to be entrusted to the commission tasked with our States redistricting, and I believe I am more than ready to face them.