Honorable Fiona Ma of the California State Board of Equalization

7/24/2017

Honorable Fiona Ma

c/o California State Board of Equalization

1201 K Street, Suite 710

Sacramento, CA  95814

Dear Honorable Ma,

My name is Matt Winick, an Asian American from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in learning history including public policy and social justice.  In these subjects, I like to learn the need to make Civil Rights stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, and many others.  Honorable Ma, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as San Francisco Board of Supervisor from the 4^th District, as Member of the California State Assembly from the 12^th District and current member of the California State Board of Equalization to be very inspiring to me.

When you served as San Francisco Board of Supervisor from the 4^th District from 2002-2006, I liked on how you pushed for regulations to reduce tobacco products from being sold to youth along with ban cartoon figures promoting them and advocate for the need to ban toxins from children’s toys including passing an Ordinance Number 06107 to prohibit the manufacture with commerce of any toy if it contains bisphenol-A or other toxic chemicals.  In your role as Member of the California State Assembly from the 12^th district, I was amazed on how you made history by becoming the first Asian woman to serve as Speaker pro Tempore.   In your roles in the California State Assembly I really liked on how you pushed for the Rubber Duck Bill (assembly bill 1108) to ban toxic chemicals in toy products for babies including small children, worked with both political parties to expand funds for research to help combat against Hepatitis B along with provide medical services to people who deal with chronic Hepatitis B, and supported high-speed rail to help people get to different places while reduce co2 emissions.  Also in your role as San Francisco Board of Supervisor from the 4^th District and in the California State Assembly, I really appreciated on how you are a strong supporter of Civil Rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights, supporting funds to help women including minorities businesses to compete in the economy, pushing for laws to combat hate-crime to protect minorities including people who are different, and expressing the need to expand on equal pay for women. Your support for renewable energy projects to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, encourage businesses to use energy efficient products to reduce high energy cost while making jobs environmentally friendly, and push for funds to help clean water resources including beaches and parks to make them safe for people to use are great ways to protect the environment. On the economy, I liked on how you supported expanding job-training programs tom help train youth including workers to develop job-skills to help them prepare for the economy and provided tax credits to small businesses including local businesses to help them be part of the community. In your current role in the Chair of the California State Board of Equalization representing the 2^nd District I like your approach on improving the economy by expanding tax-credit to small businesses to help them hire people to work for them and improve tax filing or business registration online to help make it easier for people who are starting their own businesses file application.  Another thing that I like is how you are very active on helping the Asian American community by pushing for funds to help clean Asian American communities, expressing the need  to have more diversity programs along with educational awareness to teach people about Asian American culture, and advocating for Asian Americans with disabilities.

Honorable Ma, I have autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased.  Your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights including people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  Also as an Asian American with a disability it is a hard struggle due to some Asians including some Asian Americans tease me due to having a disability or how I don’t meet their standards.  Your role as An Asian American and helping the Asian American community along with advocating for Asian Americans with disabilities’ rights gives me motivation to continue to be proud to be an Asian American when I have some struggles and even continue to develop an interest in Asian American culture. Also your work in the California public services drives me to continue my interest in learning history including public policy. My future goal is to work in history to help emphasize the need to make Civil Rights stronger, have diversity, help spread Asian American awareness, and many others.

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference for society including Asian American communities. I’m very proud on how you are working hard to improve Civil Rights,  protect the environment, and many others. You have inspired me to continue to work hard on my disability, be proud to be an Asian American with a disability, and develop an interest in learning Asian American history including history with public policy. Thanks for taking the time to read my  letter, making a great difference for society especially Asian American communities, and inspiring me. I wish you well to continue to make a great difference and if you could please share some advice to me about how to be confident about being an Asian American with a disability when there are struggles.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick

Honorable Ma sent me a campaign t-shirt