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I appreciated Lookout Santa Cruz’s great articles on Monica Martinez and Christopher Bradford, giving us insight into their personal convictions and overall reasons for running for Santa Cruz County supervisor. After reviewing the information, the choice doesn’t seem that tough anymore: Monica Martinez is clearly the right person for District 5.
Her experience leading county-wide nonprofits translates directly into government. She has the skill to deal with stakeholders from varied communities, abilities and politics in our county, all the while prioritizing those who are most vulnerable. She is exactly what District 5 needs in county-level representation. Our district is large – encompassing CZU fire victims, unincorporated areas without real representation, Silicon Valley bedroom communities and Westside retirees. While I don’t doubt that Bradford is a nice person, he has demonstrated a limited view of what our county can and should be doing for the District 5 residents, and running on a single-issue platform doesn’t support the vast majority of the residents who need a voice in multiple areas.
Monica shows up, and that’s what District 5 needs right now: from being the active parent in her kids’ public schools, to seeing how she can support the stranded residents of Mountain Charlie Road, to deeply understanding the effects of years of bad decisions from PG&E, water districts and other agencies on our community, she is deeply engaged in and dedicated to serving our district.
I’m voting for Monica not only for my neighbors, but also for my daughters, who deserve to live in an area where we feel heard, represented and respected.
Aimee Zygmonski
Nonprofit administrator
Felton