Assemblyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, announced Thursday morning that he would seek a second term in Sacramento.
Gordon, a veteran San Mateo County supervisor who was elected to the state Assembly in 2010, touted in his announcement his success during his freshman term. Of the 19 bills he proposed, 15 were signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, including proposals to extend tax exemptions to public land trusts and to exempt volunteers from prevailing-wage requirements for public-works projects. He was also one of the architects, along with state Sen. Joe Simitian and U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, of a proposal to blend Caltrain and high-speed rail on the Peninsula -- a proposal that the California High-Speed Rail Authority largely endorsed in its latest business plan.
As chair of the Assembly's Budget Subcommittee on Resources and Transportation, he has been heavily involved in reviewing the latest plans for the controversial rail line. He also serves on the Budget, Health, Local Government, Joint Sunset Review and Revenue and Taxation committees and is a member of the Environmental and LGBT caucuses.
"Over the last year, it has been an honor to represent the residents of the Peninsula," Gordon said in a statement. "I am proud of what we have accomplished, in particular on issues regarding the environment and government efficiency. Yet there is still much more work to be done."
Gordon's reelection campaign has already received endorsements from a host of state and federal officials, including Eshoo, Simitian, Santa Clara County Supervisors Liz Kniss and Ken Yeager, Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh and all five members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
Comments
Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jan 19, 2012 at 12:17 pm
on Jan 19, 2012 at 12:17 pm
He won't get my vote unless he comes out STRONGLY against High Speed Rail.
Menlo Park: other
on Jan 19, 2012 at 12:24 pm
on Jan 19, 2012 at 12:24 pm
He won't come out against HSR because he's a union lackey.
another community
on Jan 19, 2012 at 1:21 pm
on Jan 19, 2012 at 1:21 pm
He won't get any of the votes of the molestation victims of Dr. William Ayres, either. Ten years ago, Gordon orchestrated a Lifetime Achievement award to Ayres from the Board of Supervisors for his "tireless efforts to improve the lives of children." After Ayres was arrested, the victims contacted Gordon to ask him to rescind the award and to speak out on behalf of the victims. He never responded to them.
Portola Valley: Ladera
on Jan 19, 2012 at 4:53 pm
on Jan 19, 2012 at 4:53 pm
I am very pleased that Rich Gordon will be seeking another term. He acted with exceptional integrity, concern, and intelligence during his years on the Board of Supervisors. His track record in the state Assembly is impressive as would be expected. While my opinion may differ with assemblyman Gordon on specific issues, I believe he works hard to understand the complexities of issues and uses good judgement and sound principles when arriving at decisions. He has my vote.
Menlo Park: other
on Jan 20, 2012 at 2:15 pm
on Jan 20, 2012 at 2:15 pm
He's a union lacky??
No smart politician would care at all about unions if he was smart.
Only 12% of America is unionized. 5% represented by labor. 7% represented by public employees.
You can't say that businesses aren't using American labor due to unions.
Take a look at the numbers for 2010. Web Link
Then, ask yourself, if you studied any American History, where did your rights as a worker come from?? Where would American business really like to take us back to? How do they treat the workers overseas they have hired to replace us?
Who spends FAR more money making politicians their LACKIES???
Come talk to me if any of your family members have been on actual Communist Death Marches before you start tossing "Socialist" and "Communist" at your fellow AMERICANS! Learn what the terms really mean.
Or... are politicians bending over to please voters? We do have the right to vote don't we? Freedom to Assemble?? Granted, the 1% wants to take away the funding for unions.... not that they would ever restrict their own "Freedom of $peach"
Menlo Park: other
on Jan 20, 2012 at 2:49 pm
on Jan 20, 2012 at 2:49 pm
anti-unionism:
all you have to do is look at the undue influence unions have because of the huge amounts of money they are able to throw around. Not to mention their precious "endorsements" that most politicians love to have. Yes, Gordon is a union lackey. He's taken union money and endorsements and his endorsement of HSR is payback to labor unions.
HSR will be a public works project, thus all workers will have to be paid at "prevailing wage." You know what prevailing wage is based on? That's right, current union wages and benefits. So in construction about the only union outfits left are doing public works projects because that is the only place they can compete. That is why unions love to see huge public works projects. It guarantees their bloated wages and benefits will go on awhile longer.
By the way, nowhere in the one sentence I wrote did I call Gordon a socialist nor a communist.
If Gordon was bending over to please voters he would come out against HSR as those very voters are now greatly opposed to HSR.
Yep, he and governor Brown are organized labor's lackies.
Registered user
Atherton: Lindenwood
on Jan 20, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Registered user
on Jan 20, 2012 at 2:56 pm
anti-unionism states:"Only 12% of America is unionized. 5% represented by labor. 7% represented by public employees."
Yet those same few people contribute the majority of funds to local elections.
Why? To ensure their continued above market wages and benefits.
And it works.
Menlo Park: other
on Jan 20, 2012 at 8:53 pm
on Jan 20, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Huge amounts of money unions can throw around? Really? Get your facts straight. Compare what corporations pour into the political world. Contracts? Union wages perhaps. Yup, that's where BILLIONS of our dollars ended up. What a bunch of hog wash.
The High Speed Rail deserves to die for the stupidity of thinking that it had to go all the way to San Francisco when we have rail between SJ and SF already. It also deserves to die because before a single union person has been paid they've already managed to waste millions. I'm betting none of the corporate guys who just quit were "union wage earners".
Agreed... the words "socialism" and "communism" were not thrown out here, but in our political world these days they are used a lot in situations that aren't remotely appropriate.
Getting a union endorsement is a "good thing" these days?? Tons of money into local elections or just union members backing them with helping to get the vote out. Is that a bad thing that people are motivated to be involved??
Registered user
Atherton: Lindenwood
on Jan 20, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Registered user
on Jan 20, 2012 at 9:19 pm
" Compare what corporations pour into the political world. "
Yes, get your facts straight.
Corporations spend practically nothing in local elections as they have very little to gain from local government. Employee unions are the biggest contributors to local elections because they do gain a lot more than they spend.
Menlo Park: other
on Jan 21, 2012 at 9:33 am
on Jan 21, 2012 at 9:33 am
If you agree HSR should die, why do think Gordon is such a great guy when he continues to back such a boondoggle? How much union money did he take? How much corporate money?
Peter is right, unions pour much more money into local elections where they have much to gain. You need to look no further than the recent fire district elections where the firefighters unions poured at least $55,000 into getting the board memebers elected that they backed. I challenge you to find a corporation that put close to that kind of money into that election. And why would the firefighters do this? Because they want people on the board they think they can have some influence over.