SLCAN's Council Candidate Endorsements
Last month SLCAN endorsed Ursula Reed and Jim Prola for City Council. We now want to emphasize we not only recommend you vote for them, but we feel they reflect SLCAN's ideals and beliefs in a way that will move San Leandro forward. We believe these candidates will bring us ecologically sound policies, cooperation between the school and the city, and a more open and inclusive city government.
In Jim Prola and Ursula Reed we find two very different, and yet complimentary candidates, each of which bring valuable and needed traits. These are candidates that not only compliment each other but rest of the board as well.
Jim Prola is a life-long political activist with a background in the labor movement. This background gives clues to his politics and his formative years as well as providing him invaluable experience with key political movers and shakers. SLCAN found him to be aligned with many of our goals, such as the living wage, ecological issues, and affordable housing. He's spent years involved in the political system from the outside pushing for change and has now decided, in retirement, to run for office and be more directly involved. It's rare to get a candidate who has this much experience without the political baggage from numerous campaign contribution trails. We feel Jim is is leading in important directions for San Leandro right now.
Ursula Reed, on the other hand, is relatively new to civic involvement. Her day job speaks volumes however. Ursula works with truant kids, redirecting them from being sent home or being dealt with in our criminal justice system into a a school setting. She works directly with those most at risk and effectively changes their path. In addition, Ursula is the only candidate in her race with school-age children. While this experience is not a requirement for the position, at a time when our schools are critical to the future success of the city and are being hit by major state budget cuts, this perspective becomes critical to the overall makeup of the council.
Her idealism, and her ideals, reflect those of a newer generation of activists. When she pitches herself as a fresh new face for San Leandro, she isn't saying she's inexperienced, she's claiming a modern approach to problems using well-tested methods and strategies.
We hope you'll cast your votes for Jim Prola and Ursula Reed and help set a new direction for San Leandro.
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