More than 1,800 of you from across the country signed letters in support of Judge Chen — and this demonstration of support has made a difference.

But time is running out. It is important that Judge Chen be confirmed by the Senate before the August recess which could start the first week of August. Once again, we ask your support in urging the Senate leadership to schedule a vote on Judge Chen’s confirmation.

If you’ve already signed a letter of support for Judge Chen, please forward this email and ask others to visit http://fairjudges.net to sign the support letter. If you haven’t signed a letter, please visit http://fairjudges.net. Signing the letter online takes only a few minutes.

Judge Chen’s nomination is important. He would be the first Chinese American ever to serve on the district court that serves the diverse San Francisco Bay Area. And Judge Chen has a long history of public service and commitment to justice:

• Judge Chen represented Fred Korematsu in Fred’s historic suit overturning his WWII conviction for refusing to comply with the Japanese internment order;
• Judge Chen has represented victims of race and language discrimination and sought to protect civil rights throughout his legal career;
• As a federal magistrate judge for the last 9 years, Judge Chen has earned a sterling judicial record and gained the support and respect of all sectors of the bar.
• Judge Chen received the highest rating possible from the American Bar Association — unanimously well qualified.

Again, time is running out. It is important that Judge Chen be confirmed by the Senate before the August recess.

Your continued support is needed and appreciated.

Visit http://fairjudges.net and show your support by signing the letter today!

I’m proud to join an event host committee that includes David Chiu, Phil Ting, Fiona Ma, Steve Ngo, Angelica Jongco, Colbert Tse, Genevieve Jopanda, Gladys Soto, Keesa Ocampo, Lisa Le, Andy Wong and Zoe Dunning.

The event takes place on Thursday August 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mercury Lounge, 1582 Folsom Street (between 12th St and Norfolk St), in San Francisco.

Suggested donation levels are $35, $100, $250 and $700. Contributions to Jennifer Pae for Oakland City Council 2010 (FPPC #1326068) are not tax deductible. Maximum contribution of $700 per contributor. For more information, visit http://jenniferpae.com.

RSVP via email at vote@jenniferpae.com. Or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132435350131230

If you don’t know Jennifer, here’s in her own words why she’s running.  I hope you can join me in supporting her!

Jennifer Pae: Now is the time

Oakland faces significant challenges in unemployment, schools and safety. Budget decisions we make this year will impact our lives for years to come. So we need fresh solutions and leadership that brings a deep commitment to community into City Hall. My campaign is grounded in the belief that local government can better serve our basic needs and set up our community for long-term success. It’s possible for us to regain our faith in Oakland City Hall. With your support and investment in my campaign, I will champion a set of policy solutions that will help create a city that will make us proud.

I’ve been listening

I have spent months listening to the concerns of hundreds of parents, merchants, and community leaders in District 2, and we all agree that we face serious and deeply rooted problems. It is not surprising that Oakland residents have lost faith in their government.

I know we can do better, and I am prepared to help lead the way. I hope you will join me, and together, we will build a strong future for Oakland.

Bringing my national experience home

I grew up watching my mother, a first-generation immigrant who raised two children while working and studying to become a nurse, demonstrate what hard work and perseverance can create. Thanks to her success, I have been able to serve as a community organizer, public policy advocate, and an effective leader for change at the local, state and national levels. I served as President of a national organization where I worked closely with the White House, Department of Education, and Congress on key issues affecting education. I currently serve on the Oakland Community Policing Advisory Board and advocate for better public safety policies in our neighborhoods.

I’ll need your time and financial support to make this campaign a success. Please consider investing in our campaign for Oakland by making a donation and signing up to volunteer.

Your support will help us reach voters who want to believe in Oakland again.

Together we can,
Jennifer Pae

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the Honorable Tani Cantil-Sakauye as his choice for chief justice of the California Supreme Court.

“Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye has a distinguished history of public service and understands that the role of a justice is not to create law, but to independently and fairly interpret and administer the law,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

“She is a living example of the American Dream and when she is confirmed by the voters in November, Judge Cantil-Sakauye will become California’s first Filipina chief justice; adding to our High Court’s already rich diversity.”

Cantil-Sakauye has roots in Hawai’i.

Since 2005, Cantil-Sakauye has served as an associate justice for the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento. Previously, she was a superior court judge for the Sacramento County Superior Court from 1997 to 2004 and a municipal court judge for the Sacramento County Municipal Court from 1990 to 1997. Cantil-Sakauye worked for the Office of Governor Deukmejian as a deputy legislative secretary from 1989 to 1990 and as a deputy legal affairs secretary from 1988 to 1989. She was a deputy district attorney for the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office from 1984 to 1988.

Cantil-Sakauye is a member of the California Judicial Council, and is vice chair of the Rules and Projects Committee and Judicial Recruitment and Retention Working Group. She is a member of the Commission on Impartial Courts, chair of the Judicial Branch Financial Accountability and Efficiency Advisory Committee and president of the Anthony M. Kennedy Inn of Court.

“It is a privilege and a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to serve as chief justice of the California Supreme Court,” said Cantil-Sakauye. “I have had the distinct pleasure of being a municipal court judge, a superior court judge and an appellate court justice. Being nominated to serve on the highest court in California is a dream come true. I deeply respect the inspirational and visionary work of Chief Justice Ronald George and hope to build upon it. As a jurist, woman and a Filipina, I am extremely grateful for the trust Governor Schwarzenegger has placed in me. I hope to show young people what they can achieve if they follow their dreams and reach for their full potential.”

Cantil-Sakauye, 50, of Sacramento, earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis. Cantil-Sakauye is a Republican.

The vacancy will be created by the retirement of Chief Justice Ronald M. George on January 2, 2011. The compensation for this position is $238,010.

The Governor’s nomination for chief justice must be submitted to the State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. Once confirmed by the commission, the nominee will appear on the November 2nd ballot for voter approval.

The goal for these workshop sessions is to advance our community’s political, social, and economic well-being by providing participants with an expanded skill-set and knowledge for effective advocacy and organizing. We are looking for workshops that, as a whole, will:

• Equip participants with concrete and tangible skills that can be applied to their respective fields, such as making linkages between program implementation and policy advocacy.
• Reflect the diversity of the API community, including race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, language and geography.
• Highlight issues impacting the API community, including representation from a wide array of disciplines, fields, populations, and sectors.
• Facilitate linkages among diverse areas to strengthen common goals in public policy advocacy.
• Utilize innovative training methods, including audio-visual presentations, small group discussions, mock trainings, “hands-on” project formats.

If your organization would like to facilitate a workshop at the May 3 – 4, 2010, California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit, please complete the attached form. Workshop sessions should last for two hours.

Workshop proposals are due by February 8, 2010. You will be notified via email on whether your workshop has been selected by March 8, 2010. All selected workshop facilitators will receive complimentary conference registration.

Please email or fax completed applications and materials to Andrew T. Medina via fax at (916) 319-3628 or at Andrew.Medina@asm.ca.gov.

It just takes 15 seconds to send Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada a letter in support of Judge Chen through an online form at http://FairJudges.net.

President Obama has to re-nominate Judge Chen this month because the Senate did not take a full vote on the nomination, despite it being approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The President originally nominated Judge Chen to the federal court in August 2009 on recommendation from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California.

Judge Chen’s character has been attacked despite his mainstream values and a demonstrated record serving as a balanced, fair and unbiased jurist. He has received extremely positive support from a diverse group of individuals and organizations, including a “Unanimously Well Qualified” rating by the American Bar Association.

Judge Chen’s nomination deserves a straight up-or-down vote in the Senate and you can help make that happen by sending a letter to Harry Reid, the Democratic leader in the Senate.

Complete the very short online form at http://FairJudges.net and your letter with be sent at no expense to you.  The site also has links to more information and ways that you can keep in touch with this effort.

During his lifetime, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked tirelessly toward a dream of equality. The King Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and teachings into community service that helps solve social problems. That service may meet a tangible need, such as cleaning up one of our community treasures.

For this reason, NBC and Assemblymember Paul Fong have chosen Ulistac Natural Area. Ulistac, the last 40 acres of open space in the City of Santa Clara, teaches people of all ages about the Santa Clara Valley’s natural and human history. People often visit Ulistac to learn about native plants and ecology, bird watch, jog, walk their dogs, and to enjoy the outdoors.

Fong and NBC will be conducting this day of service by cleaning up Ulistac Natural Area on Monday, January 18, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at Ulistac Natural Area which is located on Lick Mill Blvd., between Hope Dr. and Tasman Dr. in Santa Clara. For more information call the office of Assemblymember Paul Fong at (650) 210-2000 or (408) 277-2003, or visit http://www.asm.ca.gov/fong .

In his fight for civil rights, Dr. King inspired Americans to think beyond themselves, look past differences, and work toward equality. Serving side by side, community service bridges barriers between people and teaches us that in the end, we are more alike than we are different. These ideas of unity, purpose, and the great things that can happen when we work together toward a common goal – are just some of the many reasons we honor Dr. King through service on this special holiday.

In the past, the State Legislature has drawn the district maps for the State Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization. Because of Proposition 11, a 14-person citizens commission will be in charge of redistricting in 2011. The application process for the commission began December 15, 2009, and will be open until February 12, 2010.

As of January 5, 2010, only 192 of the 4,724 applicants (4.1 percent) were Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI). People of color as a group make up less than 18 percent of the applicants. AAPIs represent nearly 15 percent of the state’s total population, and communities of color make up over half of the state’s total population.

Unless additional people of color including AAPIs apply, there is significant risk that the commission will not reflect California’s diversity.

Up-to-date statistics can be found at https://application.wedrawthelines.ca.gov/statistics.

The commission will hold public hearings throughout California, evaluate relevant materials, and eventually draw the new district maps. The commission may hire staff and consultants in order to support its work.

The maps the commission draws will determine whether Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are kept together or split by district boundaries. “It is critical that the commission reflects the diversity of California, including Asian Pacific Islander representation,” said Mina Titi Liu, Executive Director, Asian Law Caucus.

Commissioners will serve until 2020; however, the vast majority of the commission’s work will occur from January to September 2011 since the district maps must be completed by September 15, 2011. From January 2011 until the adoption of the maps, the commissioners may spend 10-40 hours a week or more on their responsibilities. The commissioners are paid $300 per day plus expenses when doing commission business.

To apply for the commission, applicants must fill out an online form. The form can be found at http://www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov and is due by February 12, 2010.

The Asian Law Alliance (ALA), Asian Law Caucus (ALC), and East Bay Asian Voter Education Consortium (EBAVEC) will conduct application workshops in the Bay Area during January and the first part of February to provide interested individuals with information about the commission and assistance with the application process. ALA, ALC and EBAVEC held workshops in early January in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.

After the application period is over, the 14 commissioners will be selected in a multi-step process that is supervised by the California State Auditor. A panel of three government auditors will review the applications and select 120 applicants for interviews. The panel will then choose a final list of 60 applicants from which eight commissioners are randomly chosen. These eight commissioners will then pick the remaining six commissioners.

The commission members will be appointed by December 31, 2010. The commission will be made of five registered Democrats, five registered Republicans, and four individuals who are either decline-to-state or registered with a third party.

To serve on the commission, an individual must be a registered voter in California for at least the last five years with the same party (or non-party) affiliation; have voted in at least two of the last three statewide general elections; and have relevant analytical skills, be impartial, and appreciate California’s diversity.

An applicant will be disqualified if, within the past ten years, he/she or a member of his/her immediate family has been in or a candidate for federal or state office; been appointed as a member of a political party central committee; served as a paid congressional, legislative, or Board of Equalization staff; been a registered lobbyist; or contributed $2,000 or more to any congressional, state, or local candidate in a year.

Additionally, individuals who are appointed to the commission face restrictions on future political activities. Until the end of 2020, they may not run for federal, state, county or city office. Until the end of 2015, they may not be appointed to federal, state or local office; serve as paid staff for the state legislature or any individual legislator; or register as a federal, state or local lobbyist within California.

For more information about the commission or the workshops, call the Asian Law Caucus at (415) 896-1701 ext. 121, Asian Law Alliance at (408) 287-9710, East Bay Asian Voter Education Consortium (925) 933-6778 or visit http://www.tinyurl.com/capafr2011.

Also, the California State Auditor has information translated in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese posted on its website at http://www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov/toolkit.html.