Letter to the Editor: Steve Ly, The Right Candidate for our Community

Re: Steve Ly, candidate for Sacramento County Board of Supervisors

If the past couple of years have taught us nothing else, it is that the polarizing pressures of biased news media, social media misinformation, and deeply rooted cultural, historical, and regional divides are not unique to our community and have taken a firm hold in the America we know today.

As voters, and as direct participants in a democracy designed by the people and for the people, we should be outraged at the current state of politics in both our nation and our community. Which leaves us with two options. Remain entrenched in a impractical and ineffectual game of ideological warfare, or find representatives who are willing to cross the political divide and work for the people and for the advancement of the district.

We have an opportunity today to move our district out of the darkness of division and into the light of hope. Former Mayor and twenty-five years Sacramento County resident, Steve Ly has formally announced his candidacy for the District 5 seat on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. As the powers of a county can only be exercised by the Board of Supervisors, it is the duty of these representatives to foster public engagement and encourage public participation in order to assure that any ordinances deemed appropriate for the district by the Board of Supervisors is vetted thoroughly by the will of the people.
In this respect, Steve Ly is not only the right person for the job, but he’s also the only person for the job.

As former Mayor, City Council member, and School Board Trustee, Steve Ly has worked tirelessly for the citizens of Sacramento, including a proven track record of championing issues most important to the county, such as healthcare and homelessness, economic growth, public safety, education, and infrastructure. During his leadership tenure, over 6,600 jobs were created, and crime was an all-time low.

His list of appointments, accomplishments and achievements for the local community is both long and impressive, including stints on the School Board, City Council, League of Cities, infrastructure councils and a recent appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Asian American Civil Liberties and Anti-Defamation, a coalition formed to identify and address evidence of Asian civil rights violations.

Steve Ly has been a vocal advocate for women and women’s rights. He was the first, and still the only man, to have served as the Vice President on the board of a local women’s non-profit for domestic violence. He was one of the first recognized supporters and mentors of the Hmong Women-Today, a community organization aiming to create opportunities for women to connect, empower and thrive. As a result of his fundraising, lobbying, mentoring and, above all else, his unconditional conviction to uplift and empower women around him, Steve Ly has been directly responsible for delivering a boost to the campaigns of many local women and providing them the wonderful opportunity to serve our communities.
But even more inspiring than his performance, it is the honesty and integrity in which he conducts his affairs that continually rises above the fray.

Steve Ly’s actions have always reinforced his words. He has never relied on attack politics as a means to an end, as some of his opponents surely have.

While his opponents for the Board of Supervisors seat continue to target the former Mayor’s campaign with a propagandized assault of lies and misinformation, Steve Ly has chosen to seek friendship over fracture and facts over fabrications.

So, once more, as voters we are left with two options. You can perpetuate the divide that exists within our community by electing a representative that continues to spin false narratives and hateful language, or you can choose the road less traveled and create forward unity by electing the one person running who has an established history of fashioning a sense of community togetherness.

Vote for Steve Ly for the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

Ms. Marianna M Battiste, Elk Grove