ELECTION ’12//ALCO DIST 2 | As expected, many elected officials in the contested Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 2 race view Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi’s run for the seat as something as uncomfortable as a pair of leather pants filled with itching powder.
Of the nine endorsers thus far, according to Hayashi’s campaign Web site, just two–recently retired Hayward Fire Chief Craig Bueno and Fremont Councilwoman Suzanne Lee Chan–have any connection to the district encompassing Hayward, Fremont, Union City and Newark. However, Chan’s Fremont is split among two districts. She is also up for re-election this fall, making her support politically courageous.
However, that doesn’t mean the controversial legislator convicted of misdemeanor shoplifting last January is short of big name backers from Sacramento’s Democratic leadership. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Perez issued support for Hayashi’s run for supervisor, as did Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Fiona Ma.
Regional labor groups covering large swaths of the Western United States with long names offered support including the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, District 12 and Local 1304. The United Farm Workers of America are also listed, according to Hayashi’s Web site.
Curiously, it is two names from within Hayashi’s current assembly district in San Leandro, but the borders of the supervisorial seat she is vying for that may elicit the most animosity. Hayashi received the endorsement of John Sherr, the president of the San Leandro teachers’ union and former San Leandro Councilwoman Joyce Starosciak. Both may be upsetting to the city’s educators and long-time supporters of Starosciak in the Washington Manor neighborhood. However, Starosciak no longer has skin the game when it comes to Alameda County.
Starosciak abruptly resigned last month before the end of her term this year to move to Roseville. Her sudden departure and reasoning for the move–she claimed lingering “sadness” over her 2010 mayoral defeat as the culprit–has sullied her reputation after two effective terms on the city council. As the city searches for a two-month replacement for her seat, it seems to some the endorsement of Hayashi came sometime between packing the family China and hitting the on-ramp near Highway 238.
COMIC STRIP The best place for ravenous critics of Hayashi and her infamous brush with the law last year is not a certain East Bay political site or even from one of her opponents for Alameda County supervisor, but a scrappy special interest group offering humorous cartoons and GIFs poking fun at Hayashi.
A group calling itself, People Opposing Referral for Profit Kickbacks, has been vicious in its attempts over the past few months to use Hayashi’s shoplifting conviction to shame her while criticizing her support of physician-owned physical therapy services.
Cartoons like the one above show just how visceral the anger towards Hayashi can get in the political realm. It remains to be seen whether County Supervisor Richard Valle and Union City Mayor Mark Green will use surrogates to employ some of the same tactics against Hayashi, or, in the case of Green, unleash a barrage of sharp-tongued soundbites alluding to what still remains the single most bizarre news story ever to hit the political scene in the East Bay.
ebcitizen.com 
So – let's get this straight. She's Lustful (cheating on the hubby). She is Gluttonous (over indulging in power). She is Greedy (I want, I want, I want!). She's a Sloth (evil exists when good fails to act). She is Wrathful (not caring about the fallout of her decisions, and makes those decisions with specific purpose to hurt others). She is Envious (I want new leather pants, because SHE has some. who cares I'd look like an idiot). She is Prideful (desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self). This is what gets elected in office. Please. No wonder California is in so much trouble.
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I CANNOT see CNA endorsing Mary! Nurses would NEVER associate with a convicted politician. Their political agendas are much bigger then ALCO BOS.
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12:11 AM, since you are the same poser I address as 12:52 AM, please refer to my answer in the previous string, and get off this blog.
If you have some “desire” to see Mary go down, then get off this string and start enacting some of the “advice” you are giving us.
Get to it! The campaigns are well underway.
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10:11, Look, there is no one here who has a greater desire to see Mary fall on her face.
It is a disgrace that she is running for this office while still on probation, after being arrested for felony grand theft shoplifting. The charges were only reduced to a misdemeanor because she was a first time offender.
She intended to steal the goods. Her intent is one of the elements of the crime that SF DA Gascon spoke about.
Now, have said all of the above, you are unimformed and naive if you think simply using her mugshot is going to make everyone refuse to vote for her.
AS I stated, you need to get away from the party people, the activists, and see the reality of people in the neighborhoods. Talk to women, talk to the Asian community, talk to people who don't even know who Mary is, or what she has done.
These people will STILL be open to being pursuaded to vote for Mary. Your “mugshot” avalanche will be thrown together with dozens of other filers and mailers all slamming one candidate or the other.
They ALL lose their effectiveness in the last few weeks.
BTW, Mary will get just enought labor endorsements to fulfill the needs of a convincing flyer/mailer.
Have YOU even been to her campaign website?
Public safety— Are you sure some of those police and fire organizations won't support her?
And does it matter… After all she has loads of nice photos of herself with the president of PORAC, the leading public safety organization in California.
60,000 members strong.
Do you know if the powerful CNA will be supporting her?
How about her getting the endorsement of the San Leandro Teachers Association…president.
The votes will only see that designation and not realize it isn't the whole organization.
You should be calling any San Leandro teacher you know and getting their union leader to STOP using the organization's name in his personal endorsement.
NO, you totally UNDER ESTIMATE what Mary will be doing with the few endorsements she does have.
You don't need a list of 100 or 200. You only need to highlight a few select ones in a mailer.
People don't read those long laundry lists of supporters. Just a handful of items and they throw the mailer in the trash, along with the other 5 they got just that same day.
Get real, you don't know the reality. Your attitude and self assurance will have Mary celebrating on November 7th.
Your so called BASE is paper thin in a “special election” where as little as 30% could win.
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12:35 AM there's no doubt she is testing her messaging. That's why she retracted the statement about the brain tumor, and blamed that on her lawyer “getting ahead of her”. Because she put a poll out, figured out that voters didn't give a shit if she had a tumor, they still won't put up with someone that was guilty of grand theft.
And you must have been drinking last night, to call Mary Hayashi attractive. Have you seen her mugshot? She looks like a drunk, trashy fugitive. Even on her finest day, she is miles away from “attractive”.
Figure it out, 12:35 AM.
The Democratic Party is abandoning her. Labor is abandoning her. Public Safety won't support her. Environmentalists won't support her. She won't get any local support from elected officials. That's her base, 12:35 AM, that's her base. And it's gone.
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11:58… That “MUGSHOT” will answer all the problems, is the kind of thinking that will have Mary celebrating on November 7th, 2012.
You think, that everyone else will think, as you do.
As I said, when is the last time you went down the street, or into the mall and asked real people about this issue.
I have, and I can assure you that a large percentage of people are ready and willing to “forgive” Mary for all her sins. They, when asked, will tell you, we all make mistakes. Go out there, ask them.
You see, Mary has hired people to do just that.
If you've spent the time to review her spending reports, you'd see she has spent $20,000 on polling.
She is not acting on hunches like you are. NO, she is tailoring her campaign fliers to address exactly what you think is insurmountable.
If her opponents think they only have to show her MUGSHOT, they will lose.
Mary has already won half the battle. She has the opposition split 2 or 3 ways, and in addition to that, they are all male. She is physically the most attractive candidate of the four.
If you think that means nothing, you are very naive.
Bunch of tired old guys, and one sharp “well dressed” woman.
Dozens of fliers later and you have a race anyone could win, even with a shoplifting conviction.
Mary has a plan, based on polling. All you have is a hunch in your gut.
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Steve @ 9:46 pm – CUTE. 🙂
9:06 pm you've got yourself a great set of questions there. I'm not sure that anyone has to answer your 20 questions. Seems like there's one answer to ALL of those questions: MUGSHOT.
That's how she's toast: MUGSHOT. When you receive her MUGSHOT in the mail, I'm pretty sure even the most uneducated voter will make a mental note to themselves: “Don't vote for the felon”.
Steve I'm hoping someone will tip you off about Mary's affair in Sacramento. She's cheating on her husband with her Chief of Staff.
I'm also hoping you'll dig deeper into the story that she was basically funneling money to herself by giving her District Director a raise, right around the time she started renting her home to him.
Time to hit her with everything you have.
TOAST.
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True, he scooped you, but that was because he was in the meetings.
How in the world could anyone outside the meetings know what took place in those votes if the very groups chose to keep the proceedings quiet.
I mean of what value is their “vote of no confidence” if its only known to the few people in the meeting?
Perhaps he will come back and explain it all, including what they have “no confidence” in.
And why now? What is different NOW than 7 months ago when Mary copped a plea.
I'm a little disappointed that until now, no Democratic party groups, or leaders, or office holders, have said anything negative about Mary Hayashi and her troubles. Everyone was being oh so careful to not offend Mary. They stood by, said nothing, as she issued those absurd excuses and explanations. Like the brain tumor, which she recently withdrew.
Many are photographed arm in arm with her at various functions.
Oh you missed those? Just go to maryhayashi.com and click on “events”. See everyone with Mary, all smiles.
I guess the vote of “no confidence” wasn't in effect back then.
If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound?
If a vote of no confidence happens in Fremont, does it make a sound? NO, not unless you get it into the press.
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I always tell people that I have the greatest, most passionate, most knowledgeable reader around. Other reporters have to worry about other newspapers scooping them. This never happens in any city I cover for The Citizen. Instead, it's my own readers who scoop me!
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THANKS! I KNOW. I'LL HAVE A STORY ON IT TOMORROW. 🙂
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I don't like any of the four. If they're all dishonest, deceitful, and dirty, for whom to vote?
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Please, nothing worse than shouting all five lines.
Now, what you are saying is good news. About time some formal group(s) of Democrats said something about Mary. What, its only been 9 to 10 months since her arrest.
But expecting anyone to KNOW about that “vote of no connfidence” is odd.
I'm in the public. Did any of those groups issue a press release. Is there any newspaper or blog where their vote was made public. Did they email or call Steven?
I go to both organizations websites and see no mention of any votes or resolutions regarding Mary Hayashi.
Why don't they have something on their websites?
Additionally why don't you post the actual resolution or vote of no confidence. What does it mean?
No confidence in her current position? Or no confidence in her campaign for supervisor.
If its a no confidence in her as a assembly-member, one can only wonder what took so long. What is current now, that wasn't in place 8 or 9 months ago?
So please come back here, and answer a few of my questions, or give us a link where we can read about this news. I see no mention of it anywhere.
Finally, regarding your statement that “She's toast”, I'd warn you, she has a very real chance of being elected. A very very real chance.
She could win with 33% of the vote and I can assure you there are far more than 33% of the voters who have no memory or knowledge of her arrest.
If you don't think so, just go on the street and ask.
Don't sit around talking to party activists. Go to a mall or sidewalk. Speak to real people.
You will be shocked at how few even know who Mary Hayashi is, let alone what she has done.
Right now, I'd say Mary's chances are about equal to the other two or three “men”. She picks up a large chunk of the Asian vote, along with some extra share of voters who favor a woman, and with only a bit extra of the rest, you have Mary winning with perhaps 35% or less.
Mary spent over $20,000 on polling about this. She has a plan. She has been implementing it for the past months. Do you visit her 3 websites regularly?
BTW, what was the vote in those groups?
Was it unanimous or was it a squeaker?
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STEVE, THE SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS AND THE TRI-CITIES DEMOCRATIC FORUM ALL ISSUED A “VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE” LAST WEEK AGAINST MARY HAYASHI. PLEASE CONNECT WITH THOSE PEOPLE AND REPORT ON IT, WE NEED YOU TO REPORT ON THE FACT THAT MARY'S DEMOCRATIC BASE IS ABANDONING HER. SHE'S TOAST.
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A vote for a write-in, Gail Steele, is more than anything, a vote for the possibility of Mary Hayashi sneaking in with less than 30% of the vote.
Obviously Gail Steel has zero chance of getting elected, but siphoning off votes reduces the percentage needed for victory.
That is unless you think Gail could take a disporportionate share of the female preference from Mary. All very complicated and risky.
Hayashi loves more and more dilution of the vote.
In fact one wonders if she somehow got Mark Turnquist to throw his name into the hat, being that he has zero chance of even getting 5% of the vote.
In theory, the winner could sneak in with 25.1% of the vote. No runoff is available. In a normal election, where 50.1% is needed, Mary could never come out on top.
Lockyer resigning has handed Mary a possible life-preserver to salvage her career.
And you seem on throwing her another line with this “write-in” nonsense.
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8:58 you are right on the button. I don't believe Gail wears crotchless panties, I don't believe she is a thief, and I don't see her having an affair with someone else's partner. She didn't do much harm to the 2nd. District either that I can see. So, she would be a safe, comfortable, non-controversial figure to hold the 2nd. District in limbo. The do no harm clause appears an appropriate goal that every elected or appointed official nees to swear to when running for any political office. What do you all think?
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Mr. Tavares, thanks for all you do.
Can you please contact Sue Chan? She is another local disgrace that serves on the Fremont City Council. She supports Mary Hayashi for Supervisor, and Hayashi supports her for Re-Election. They have joined forces with the Dutra Family, and together, they help create the version of hell that we're going through down here in the Fremont area. The Dutra's are trying to prop up another one of their sons to run for City Council – another millionaire developer that has no business serving on a City Council. To top it off, they plan to run Garrett Yee for Assembly AGAIN. You'll love him – he's a lifelong Republican that recently re-registered as a Democrat to run for state office. He ran against Wieckowski in 2010 and lost. But in a bid to stay relevant, the Dutra's are planning to run Garrett again in the next few years. He was supported by the worst “special interests” (Oil, Tobacco, Pharmaceutical Companies, Insurance/HMOs). Doesn't take much to figure out who he'll be beholden to.
Hoping you can start by looking into Sue Chan. She's up for re-election herself this year. Figure out why one of our local public servants would support someone like Mary Hayashi. Let us know what you come up with. Thanks, you're a good man!
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The entire field is corrupt as hell. They're all either ho's, crooks, union whores, developer/industry shills, or more likely all of the above.
Vote for GAIL STEELE as an honest write-in candidate!!!
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Mary's endorsements are notable in the fact that so few of the individuals listed live in District 2.
Even retired Hayward fire chief Craig Bueno doesn't live in District 2. I believe his house is out east of Pleasanton.
Easy to figure out why Steinburg and Perez are endorsing Mary. She is sitting on $850,000 of campaign cash and can only “directly” spend $20,000 of it in her own race for supervisor. However she can and has doled out large sums of money to organizations and candidates that Perez favors… If she does that now, in a big way, she can provide a windfall for Perez, then allow his friends to funnel legal contributions to Mary as a payback.
Perez and Steinburg see Mary as a cash-cow with nowhere else to spend the funds.
BTW, the Fiona Ma's endorsement is partial payback for Mary giving Fiona Ma's husband, Jason Hodge, $2,500 on May 31st, 2012, for his failed state senate campaign in Southern California.
Oh yes, and of course Mary Hayashi also made a contribution to Sue Chan, another endorser, for her Fremont City council race.
The Starosciak endorsement is laughable. She abandons her own city, then as a parting gift, tells residents in ajacent cities to support Hayashi.
Finally, Jon Sherr, the president of the San Leandro teachers' union is going to make lots of teachers in San Leandro angry for allowing the name of their organization to be connected as approving Mary Hayashi.
BTW, Jon Sherr neither works in, nor lives inside the District 2 supervisor boundries.
Bottom line is, you don't even need the fingers on one hand to count the number of Mary's endorsers who actually live in the district….AND thats even if you include Mary and her husband, Dennis.
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