Event Coverage

Steve Westly Supports Electoral Reform, Public Education and More Housing

“It is California’s time to make fundamental electoral reforms, improve public education and promote home building,” Steve Westly told Realtors and Affiliates of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors® (SILVAR). Westly, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor, was the guest speaker at the Menlo Park/Atherton District Meeting on Monday, May 22.

Westly, a former eBay executive and Stanford University teacher, has been the State Controller of California since 2002. He criticized “partisan gridlock in Sacramento.”

“We are all stuck in gridlock from one side of the aisle to another. …,” said Westly. “We are sending extremes from both parties to Sacramento and it is creating gridlock.”

He said legislators in Sacramento need to break away from partisan politics if electoral reform is to succeed. He underlined the need for a change in California’s redistricting process. “We need an independent third party to reform the redistricting process so we can have fairly drawn districts,” said Westly.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate stressed the need for California to strengthen its educational system by supporting teachers and students. Westly referred to California’s teacher shortage and said, “We need to give teachers a little more respect, a little more pay and a little more support to do the job most of them know how to do well.”

He indicated he is concerned about the high drop-out rates among minority students and emphasized the importance of after-school programs. “We need to give our kids a safe place after school,” Westly said, adding that more students should also be able to avail of more math and science tutoring. 

“Our students are not failing us; we are failing them,” Westly stated.

Westly then turned to the subject of real estate and indicated that California’s population is growing by 500,000 people a year, and “we are building a fraction of the state’s housing needs and falling behind by 30,000 units. … We’re fundamentally under-building housing.”

He suggested taking a carrot-stick approach for every planning commissioner in California, by providing incentives to those who champion housing, and penalties for those who do not. He also recommended maintaining a housing trust fund, which could provide a stimulus to increased housing.

Westly spoke about his wife, Anita Yu Westly, a Chinese immigrant, whose father died when she was a teenager. Anita’s mother supported her five children. At one time, seven members of the family lived in a one-bedroom house. But they were happy, he said, and they were proud because they owned their own home and were able to live the “American Dream.”

“I’m running for Governor so that every American can achieve that American Dream,” he said.

Asked about his stance regarding the rights of illegal immigrants in California, Westly said, “We got to do a better job securing our borders, but we can’t close our borders. Our economy will virtually cease to exist if we do. We need a common sense visa process.”

There are 11 million immigrants in the country, said Westly, and he favors U.S. President George Bush’s proposal that “illegal immigrants earn legalization by acquiring jobs, paying taxes, paying a fine for being illegal and getting in line with everyone else.”

Westly announced that he has the best qualifications for the job of Governor of California. “The government is being run by career politicians,” he said. “We need someone with a business background that is a problem-solver, to bring people together and operate in a bipartisan way. We got to find the win-win middle ground among both parties.”

The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, e-mail , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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