Tonight, I had the pleasure of being the guest speaker at the MCED Career Center's fall graduation ceremony.  MCED is a private vocational college with about 500 students - see www.mced.com.  The students had finished their courses and were moving on to jobs in pharmacies, law firms, businesses, and health care organizations.  As the graduation speaker, I was supposed to come up with some really inspirational words to mark the occasion and to encourage them as they transition from school to career.  However, instead of being the inspirational one, the students were the ones who ended up inspiring me.  The stories from the graduates were pretty incredible.  Many were single parents who had worked their way through school while taking care of their families.  They had overcome steep obstacles to finish their programs.  Most already had jobs lined up and were working in their chosen field. 
 
I have spent a lot of time over the last fifteen years on economic development in Fresno and figuring out what to do to lower our unemployment and poverty rates.  I've learned that there is no silver bullet, but if you could pick just one thing that would make the most difference, it is job training and education.  Anyone who has made sacrifices to learn a new skill, finish school, or do what it takes to make a better way for their family is a hero.  These graduates from MCED are heroes in my book.

Today, my campaign kicked off our precinct walking efforts.  We are distributing literature to voters throughout the City that includes a survey to find out what's on people's minds in Fresno.  I believe we need more citizen input at City Hall, and the survey is my first effort to make sure we have an open city government that incorporates community feedback.  I'm looking forward to hearing what people have to say.  When you get the survey, please be sure to fill it out and send it in!

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Today, I officially declared my candidacy for the Mayor of Fresno.  I have decided to run for Mayor because I believe so strongly in our city's potential.   Fresno is at a tipping point - a lot of things are headed in the right direction.  Our population is growing, the economy is diversifying, crime rates are down, investments in downtown are increasing.  People who left Fresno to go to school and pursue careers elsehwere are choosing to move back even though they could live anywhere.  There is a positive "buzz" in this community that is almost tangible.  However, we've got some extremely tough challenges to address if we are going to become a thriving city - concentrated poverty, gang activity, low education rates, distressed neighborhoods, some of the worst air quality in the nation, and major infrastructure requirements.  The next mayor will determine whether Fresno tips forward and gets a handle on some of these issues that have burdened us for the last 30 years, or whether we tip backward and lose the positive momentum that has developed over the last several years.  I see the window of opportunity and am determined that as Mayor of Fresno, we will "tip forward" and realize our full potential as a city! 

Tonight, members of my campaign committee met to officially kick off my campaign for the Mayor of Fresno.  There is a terrific group of folks who are working on this campaign.  They are leaders from the business, education, housing, cultural arts, and non-profit sector.  We are committed to reaching out to every part of this community to invite input and encourage participation in helping Fresno become a thriving city.  If you would like to get involved, please call or e-mail me!