HomeMy WebLinkAboutFRANK A. GOMEZ To the Members of the City Council:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment. My name is Dr. Frank A. Gomez and I am
the Executive Director of STEM-NET, a multi-campus collaborative at the California
State University, Office of the Chancellor. I lead STEM initiatives for the 23-campus
system the largest four-year public university system in the United States.
I am a supporter of Voters Choose and have lived in Tustin for 10 years. I ask that you
adopt Rank and Add instead of district-based elections, and that you put Rank and Add
on the City's agenda for more public discussion.
We cannot keep at-large elections without a change. Too often people run in slates in
Tustin because of at-large elections. They count on a minimum amount of support to
win, because all the "check-marks" count the same. Rank and Add will allow for more
civic engagement which is needed during these challenging times.
I am against districts, too, especially on their own. The Latino and Asian-American
community want equal representation, not segregated representation. Districts relegate
us permanently to one seat in a specific area. We don't want to have fewer choices in
elections. This is the first time in a long time our council seats are competitive, and
Voters Choose has evidence that districts reduce the choices voters have. Districts are
the way that the Tustin school board kept their seats for another 4 years. Vote NO on
districts; we want true representation.
Rank and Add is a simple voting system that makes every single vote more powerful. It
boosts turnout, makes candidates reach out to voters they usually ignore (especially
under-represented groups), and follows the California Voting Rights Act.
Please host an agenda item on Rank and Add. That way, we can discuss it as a City,
and more people can decide if it's a good idea.
Thank you,
Frank A. Gomez, PhD