Posted April 7, 2012:
I am honored to announce that I have received an endorsement from the Pasadena Star-News. They have been doing their research on City Council candidates for Arcadia and our neighboring cities, and I’m honored that they chose to endorse me for a seat on the Council. They, like many of my supporters, can see that I have a solid track record of community service. They support my stance on spending money more conservatively and putting money aside for rainy days. But most importantly of all, they recognize my passion for Arcadia.
Sho Tay
With the election date just around the corner, i urge all of you to make sure you vote. You can still fill out your ballot and drop it off at the City Hall before April 10, 2012. If you still haven’t made your decision on who to vote for, I am more than happy to speak with you about any of your concerns and answer any questions. I can always be reached on my cell phone at 626-447-2935.
Your neighbor, Sho Tay
Posted March 18, 2012:
This resolution cost us approximately $500,000
Arcadia is a great city. We have had great leadership throughout the years and they have done a good job keeping the city in good shape. I can proudly say that we are doing much better than many of our neighboring cities.
The council has made some great decisions keeping the city together but they’ve also made some foolish choices that I strongly disagree with. As a business owner, i’m a strong proponent of being fiscally conservative and spending money responsibly.
In 2006, Council member Harbicht, Segal, Wuo and Chandler adopted Resolution No. 6539 (below) agreeing to pay the health insurance monthly premium for the SPOUSE of an eligible city retiree for a length of 15 years or until the spouse is eligible for Medicare Coverage, which ever occurs first. In other words, if John Doe works for the city of Arcadia at age 21 and enrolls in the city health plan and retires at age 51, the City of Arcadia will continue to pay the spouse’s health insurance until she’s 65 years of age, at which point Medicare coverage will take effect. This decision costs you and I hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Now i completely understand paying good money for good talent and I agree we should be hiring excellent employees, but this is just ridiculous. My son works for a $12 Billion dollar company, and while they offer an excellent employee health plan, they still make him pay the spouse’s premiums. This, ladies and gentlemen, is NOT being fiscally responsible.
Posted March 12, 2012:
Preserving and Promoting our Rich Cultural Heritage
Arcadia is diverse. We are 65,000 citizens strong with over 43% of us born in another country. That’s nearly double the state average and makes us number 28 on the list of the top 100 cities in the United States with foreign-born citizens. We are German Americans, English Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, African Americans, and more. We speak different languages. We participate in different customs. We enjoy different foods. Some of us like to hang our clothes on a line and some of us like to use a dryer. Some of us fear the number 4 and some of us fear the number 13. The point is, though we have all come from very different places, though we seemingly have little in common, we’ve all chosen Arcadia to be our home. We are Arcadian-Americans.
Our diversity is what makes us unique and if elected to the city council, I plan to celebrate it. I’ll do this by creating an annual city wide cultural festival highlighting the richness contained in our populace. We will learn about each other’s art, cuisine, language, and traditions. By creating this opportunity to connect to one another we will, no doubt, build awareness, sensitivity, and appreciation for our neighbors and foster a greater sense of community within the borders of Arcadia.
A united city is a thriving city. We live in an incredible place, fellow Arcadians, and it is my wish as your City Councilman, to insure that it continues to grow stronger for all of us who call it home now and for those who have yet to come. Together united in spirit, love, and passion, let us re-imagine our city and ensure that its future continues to burn bright.
Posted March 5, 2012:
Balancing budget and increasing revenues
From my perspective, these two issues are closely related. Balancing our budgets really depends on increasing our revenues. As it stands today, we simply don’t posses adequate reserves to cover our basic needs so we must find the funds to do so.
As evidenced by the recent windstorm and the millions of dollars it cost our city, we cannot afford to continue cutting basic services like city upkeep, in this case tree-trimming. Cutting services costs us money on the backend when disaster strikes and on the frontend as our home values decrease. Therefore, it is imperative that we find creative solutions for paying our necessary bills.
If elected to city council, I will make it a priority to create a more business friendly environment which, through Sales tax, will provide a more dependable revenue stream for things like city services.
Now, in order to be the community that we are, it is helpful to have sensible regulations in place. These help us to facilitate development that reflects our history, values, and identity. However, too many restrictions discourage local businesses from associating with our city even if they intend to target Arcadians as their primary customers. There are many examples of businesses springing up on our borders, profiting from our citizens, all the while paying city sales taxes to our neighbors.
Posted Feb. 29, 2012:
I am pleased to present this letter I received a few days ago, which I think speaks for itself:
Posted Feb. 18, 2012:
We, as a city council, must ensure that our young people feel safe, secure, and supported within their school environments. The Arcadia Unified School District is an asset to our community, ranked as one of the best districts in the area, and it is vitally important that we do what we can to make certain that its reputation remains intact. After all, our teachers and administrators continue to do their job, providing consistent exemplary service within the walls of the schools. It is our job, then, as a community to make sure that the streets and surrounding areas don’t undermine the good work our educators are doing.
As a parent, I was deeply affected in early 2011 when a young Arcadia High School student was struck by a car and killed just a few blocks from the school. It was an accident that took place on a Sunday, the lightest traffic day of the week, at a mid-block crosswalk which are typically discouraged by traffic safety engineers because of their inherent dangers.
A few months earlier, in the very same area, again a few blocks from Arcadia High and Holly Avenue Elementary, a man was killed in a similar accident, this one a hit-and-run. In an area where, five days every week, young people of all ages come to learn, they are required to share the streets with thousands of cars headed to nearby hospitals, malls, entertainment venues, and restaurants. The streets surrounding our local schools are not tailored to meet the needs of our young people and, though several Arcadia High School students have implored the city council to make changes. They have not yet and it has cost us dearly.
As far as I’m concerned, as a parent and as a community member, one life lost is one too many and an immediate change to area traffic is in order. If elected, I would meet with city officials on day one and develop a plan of action. Crosswalks need to be made clearer and safer, traffic signals must be tested and approved, and streets need to be widened to accommodate safer student drop-off zones.
Above all else, the needs of our young people need to be met. We all have a vested interest in our school system and the students that attend. Whether you’re a parent, a businessperson, or a simply a homeowner, a strong school system and the safety of its students has a direct impact on your life.
Posted Feb. 18, 2012:
Most of our seniors, certainly those with medical issues, rely on our local transit system to get them to and from their doctor’s offices, their family’s homes, shopping centers, business appointments, and social activities. There are many wonderful things about this system already in place. It is low cost, it is curb-to-curb, and it’s open to everyone. With that said, there is room for improvement. Though this system is adequate for the majority, it struggles to meet the concerns of those most challenged. The vans have a 30-minute window of possible arrival time and yet only wait 90-seconds for the rider. This current system often puts the riders in a hurry-up-and-wait and then hurry-up-again situation creating stress, frustration, and potential safety hazards. 90-seconds…I can’t even gather my keys and get my wife out the door for dinner in 90-seconds. I’m not sure why we would expect our seniors to do the same. Also, the current service is not available on all major holidays preventing some of our seniors from participating in the same joyous events we all count on annually.
If elected, I will dedicate additional revenue to outfit the service with more vans so that schedules are better adhered to and the 90-second wait time at pick-up points can be increased. Also, I’ll open up the schedule to provide transit opportunities every day of the year so that our seniors can get to their community and family events enriching the lives of those they love.
Posted Jan. 23, 2012:
SHO TAY
Occupation: Retired Businessman
My wife and I have lived in Arcadia for almost 30 years. We raised both of our children here and it’s where we call home. As any homeowner would strive to improve their home, I feel the same about Arcadia.
I’ve served on several organizations such as the Arcadia Historical Museum Foundation, Arcadia Chinese Association President, Arcadia Masonic Lodge Master, Boy Scouts Lucky Baldwin District Chair, Chamber of Commerce Director, Arcadia Historical Society and Arboretum Director. I now wish to serve the people of Arcadia and improve our city on a larger scale.
As a successful and retired entrepreneur and businessman, I carry the skills and knowledge to serve as an Arcadia City Councilman. My dedication and track record of service to Arcadia earned me the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award for 2011-12.
I am committed to: • Improving the quality of life for our residents. • Improve transportation for our elderly and physically challenged residents. • Improve traffic around schools. • Advocate a balanced budget by promoting sensible growth and preserving our longstanding businesses.
I pledge to be your voice and together we’ll carry Arcadia into a brighter future. You can always reach me at 626-447-2935.
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