In case you missed it, the Orange County Register recently featured a guest commentary from 65th Assembly District Republican candidate Young Kim. You can view the article on the OC Register's website.
People often tell me that it's really refreshing to have an Asian woman running as a Republican.
You might wonder how I became a Republican and why I joined with Rep. Ed Royce and the Republican Party.
This is my story.
I came to the United States with my parents after attending elementary school in South Korea. After spending my younger years in Guam and Hawaii, I moved to California so I could attend the University of Southern California. That's where I met my husband, Charles, whom I have been married to for 28 years.
Together we raised four awesome kids, and two of them attended my recent fundraiser at Los Coyotes County Club. Our children all went to public schools, including Troy High School in Fullerton, and three of them chose to attend Cal State Fullerton.
As many immigrant families did, my parents worked hard and struggled, but they also instilled in me the value of individual responsibility and living within a person's means.
Those traits shaped me into who I am today.
As a result, as soon as I was able to register to vote it was natural for me to join the political party that closely reflected my values – individual freedom, reducing regulation and promoting pro-business policies.
I have been a proud Republican ever since.
After college, I worked in the private business sector as a controller and financial analyst and also ran a small business.
For the past 20 years, I have worked alongside Royce and conducted extensive community outreach, assisted hundreds of constituents with their problems and developed close working relationships with elected and community leaders.
When the opportunity to seek an elected office presented itself, it seemed like a natural progression from being a community volunteer and business owner. Many people encouraged me to take the opportunity, so I'm stepping up to do the job.
I know I can continue to serve the same constituency, but do so as an influential watchdog for legislation that impacts our district and ensure the district's representative who reflects constituents' values..
The key issues in the 65th Assembly District are similar to those of other districts: jobs, education and public safety. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on these key issues and others with you throughout my campaign:
Jobs: Most of the new jobs created in our district and the state come from small businesses. We should be advancing policies that help them grow; however, a recent survey of small business owners in California found that only 9 percent rated California's business climate as good, while 62 percent rated it as poor and said that the No. 1 issue impacting them is “too much regulation.”
Business: As a businesswoman and a controller and financial analyst, I understand the challenges small businesses face. In the Assembly, I will work to reduce regulations, fees and red tape that strangle businesses and kill jobs.
Schools: Education is another issue that is very important to our district and the entire state. Test scores are dropping again in California, and we are falling further behind other states when it comes to preparing our youth for success.
This is not because we don't have enough money going to education. The current state budget allocated for education is more than 55 percent. There is enough money going to education, but not enough makes it to classrooms. The failure to provide a quality education is the result of not efficiently monitoring the dollars that go into classroom instruction and supplies where it will directly benefit students.
In the Assembly, I will make sure there is transparency and accountability for the bureaucrats who administer the funds.
Public safety: The overcrowding of inmates in our prisons has resulted in the state allowing the early release of inmates, including dangerous criminals, into our communities. This creates an unsafe environment, especially for schools and neighborhoods. We need to find sensible solutions to deal with the overcrowding issue.
It's important for voters to help elect representatives who reflect the demographics and the values they hold dear, which are traditionally conservative, hardworking families and small-business owners.
If we have any chance of retaking the 65th Assembly District, I am your best choice and will work diligently to be your voice in your communities.
– Young Kim is running for the 65th Assembly District, which serves Anaheim, Fullerton, Buena Park, Stanton, Garden Grove, Cypress and La Palma. Contact her at young@youngkim2014.com.
