Dear Fremont Citizens, The Fremont Citizens' Network formally endorses Vinnie Bacon for re-election to our City Council, Michele Berke for Trustee on the Fremont Unified School Board and Chitra Ramanathan for Washington Township Hospital Board. Here are the reasons why we support them : VINNIE BACON Vinnie has aptly served as a City Council member for the past four years. He attends City Council meetings prepared, he is responsive to citizens, and he always explains why he supports/ not support the proposals by staff. He regularly posts his opinions on the issues and observations of the goings-on in our city, county, and state to help keep residents informed. We believe he will continue to serve as Councilmember voting for what's best for the residents of Fremont and not bending to the pressure of developers. Vinnie has again pledged not to accept campaign contributions from developers. For him, it’s a simple matter of ethics – you shouldn’t take money from people who could benefit financially from your decisions. For the residents of Fremont that means he votes on projects that come before the City Council based on the merits of the project including the impact to traffic, schools, parks & open spaces. His voting record demonstrates that. He listens to Fremont residents, respects their concerns and has stood with the residents on many issues. Vinnie is uniquely qualified to serve in this role having an educational background in Urban Planning with a Master’s degree in City Planning and Transportation Engineering from UC Berkeley. He also worked as a transportation planner and understands the environmental review process. FCN supports Vinnie Bacon, but we recognize it takes money to run political campaigns, and by refusing developer money it is incumbent on all of us to ensure his successful re-election. Your VOTE FOR VINNIE BACON is critical. Word of mouth and community support are key to running this type of campaign. We encourage all our members and supporters to join us in helping Vinnie with your time, enthusiasm and funding. Vinnie has been working to support only sensible development, mindful of impacts to our schools, ease our traffic, and improve our quality of life. Vinnie is also endorsed by Shape Our Fremont (http://www.shapeourfremont.com/ ) Follow Vinnie at: http://www.bacon4fremont.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vinnie-Bacon-for-Fremont-City-Council/321492557896 Compare the FULL voting records of City Council members regarding development at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WCbEJWyb7atpirfWyOAhtYFqwdq... www.Fremontcitizensnetwork.org MICHELE BERKE Ms. Berke has ably served as an appointed Board member since 2014, filling the position vacated by Lily Mei. She has decided to run to retain her role because she has gained an enormous body of knowledge, and is eager and able to contribute immediately. Her decision is also endorsed by teachers, as well as respected sitting FUSD Trustees. Besides her years of experience as an instructor and administrator at the California School for the Deaf, Ms. Berke brings a wealth of educational expertise to the Board. She holds a Master's degree in non-profit administration and a Ph.D in Speech and Language Services. As an FUSD Board member, she serves on the critical Budget and Curriculum committees. Ms. Berke has promised to push for more transparency and open communication between the Measure E bond oversight committee and the FUSD Board. As a parent of a 7th grader in FUSD, Ms. Berke is fully aware of the concerns parents face every day--transportation, the ever increasing changes at school sites, and the importance of holding the District to its fiduciary responsibilities. She is passionate about providing the best learning environment for all of the District's children, and continuing to provide outstanding academic, after school, music, and sports programs. Mail donations to: berke4greatschools c/o Tracy Kuerbis 2185 Castillejo Way Fremont, CA 94539 or use the link at her website: www.berkeforgreatschools.org CHITRA RAMANATHAN Ms. Ramanathan made the decision to run for the Board after reading the 2014 Alameda County Grand Jury report (https://www.acgov.org/grandjury/final2013-2014.pdf). As a licensed attorney she became concerned that the public hospital was making too many important decisions in closed session, which is in opposition to the Brown Act. She wants to be the new voice on the Board for open and transparent meetings. Chitra is committed to instituting term limits, a recommendation made by the Grand Jury. Her two opponents, both with decades on the Board, are publicly opposed to term limits. The current Board has increased the annual salary compensation for CEO Nancy Farber to $775,000, with the promise of annual bonuses. She is committed to expanding services including accepting a broader range of insurance plans and to making the public hospital more accessible to the community. Chitra will commit to improving the infrastructure of the hospital to compete with other local hospitals. Please visit her website : votechitra.com PLEASE VOTE FOR -- VINNIE BACON FOR FREMONT CITY COUNCIL MICHELE BERKE FOR FREMONT SCHOOL BOARD CHITRA RAMANATHAN FOR WASHINGTON HOSPITAL BOARD ON NOVEMBER 8 ! Even if you cannot vote, please consider hosting a “meet the candidate event”, publicizing their candidacy to your friends and neighbors, planting their signs and helping to distribute their flyers. We are aware it takes money and energy to run for office, please consider making a donation to their campaigns at their above websites. Thank you for your continued involvement with our community. Kind Regards, Fremont Citizens Network Steering Committee www.fremontcitizensnetwork.org