A few years ago, I made a few conscious decisions that have changed my life in many ways. The one I will share with you today is my search to be more connected with the community that I live in. Therefore, upon taking the step of becoming a first time home buyer I wanted to learn more about District 1, so I made an appointment with my councilwoman, Bonnie Lowenthal. We had a great meeting about the district and the opportunities that exist for young professionals to become active participants in the city of Long Beach. That same year, I joined the Long Beach Young Democrats. I volunteered at the holiday party that year and met amazing people. Ever since I took those two steps, I’m more committed to improving the quality of life in my community.
On Monday, March 20, 2007 the Long Beach Young Democrats (LBYD) had their meeting at Pete’s by the Beach. The LBYD had an important agenda with items that included endorsing candidates for the 6th district and the A-G Propositions on the May 1, 2007 special election. Also, a few weeks prior to the meeting, I received a notice from a member of the club regarding the candidacy of Al Austin for the 6th District seat.
Al is my former classmate from the Masters in Public Administration and Policy graduate program at Cal State Long Beach. Hands down, I had to be at this meeting!
In spring 2006 Al and I were classmates where we were allowed to have discussions about community public policy issues affecting Long Beach and the state of California. There is no doubt that he is the best candidate for the 6th District on the ballot. Attending the LBYD club meeting was not new for him, since he is a founding member of this club and a long time community member of the city of Long Beach.
At the meeting, he introduced himself and talked about his family and sharing his campaign platform. He is a family man committed to improving the after school options youth have in the city. He talked about quality jobs, the importance of community public safety and youth programs. There was no doubt that Austin is a proud Long Beach citizen with a long term vision and a strong commitment to creating a better future for current and future generations of Long Beach residents. It was no surprise the club endorsed Al Austin unanimously.
Personally, it is refreshing to see young men and women, like Al Austin from our communities take the initiative to become public servants and agents of real change. I invite you to join me as a volunteer on his campaign. To learn more about his platform and volunteer opportunities, click here.
The club also endorsed all propositions. Click here for more information. The Long Beach City Clerk’s website has important information about the special election and propositions.
The next Young Democrats meeting is Monday, April 9, 2007 at Frisco’s located at 4750 E. Los Coyotes Diagonal at 6:30 pm.