It is not often that I write a letter to the editor in our local paper. I do so now as I feel it very important to express my concerns for the upcoming election. Make no mistake about it, who we put in office at various levels of government is extremely important to all of us living here. All one has to do is look back to early 2017 when the minimum wage was increased, only to be followed by a 12-cent tax increase on gasoline. That tax nullified any benefit to those who received the wage increase. Truth is, it was nothing more than just another tax scheme coming out of Sacramento.
You may rest assured, however, our state Assembly representatives Dante Acosta and Tom Lackey fought for us in Sacramento and opposed that tax. They both have been outstanding representatives and we must keep them in office, working for us.
Rep. Steve Knight has done great work for us in Washington, D.C. I knew his father Pete Knight, who was our state senator. No wonder Congressman Knight has been so good, as he comes from fine stock. He has been effective in the battle against CEMEX (the proposed mega gravel mine) by working across the aisle with legislation that was passed. He has been a true champion of this community by obtaining badly needed money ($47 million) for the Interstate 5 corridor improvements as well as the St. Francis Dam monument.
Finally, I want to encourage support for a newcomer in our local political scene, and that is Jason Gibbs. He is running for a seat on our City Council and, frankly, we need new people on occasion. Jason, his wife Chandra and two children live in Saugus. Jason has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and is deputy director of West Coast operations for GP Strategies Corp. His wife Chandra also has her master’s degree in biomedical engineering and works at Boston Scientific.
Having the opportunity of getting to know this man has made me a big fan of him. He is not running a campaign trying to be critical of this city, but rather of how he can be part of its continued success. He clearly understands the many issues we are all confronted with such as public safety, roads, opioids and homelessness, to name a few.
Jason sits on the bond oversight committee for the Saugus Union School District Measure EE, and has proven his ability to work with others effectively. He has already articulated a plan to assist with public safety through the creation of a public safety commission, something that makes a lot of sense that can work on so many issues through improved communication, strategizing and implementation.
Nov. 6 is rapidly coming. Please do not forget to vote and I hope you will support candidates Dante Acosta and Tom Lackey for state Assembly, Steve Knight for Congress and Jason Gibbs for City Council.
Councilman Bob Kellar
Santa Clarita
