Our opponents will stop at nothing to defend the status quo in San Jose and are stooping to dishonest, cynical attacks to try to stop our momentum. They are spending over $100,000 to make sure my opponent is re-elected. They know that I cannot be controlled and therefore are sending out deceitful mailers to distort my record and lie about my ethics. 

Here are the lies my opponent’s special interest supporters are spreading and the truth about each: 

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• LIE #1: I want to raise taxes on seniors and homeowners.
  TRUTH: I am fully supportive of the homeowner protections in Proposition 13 and would never seek to overturn them.
   

• LIE #2: I voted to increase lunch prices, making poor kids pay more so wealthy bureaucrats get a raise.
  TRUTH: Over 30% of our students are on free and reduced lunch plans, so poor kids pay NOTHING for lunch. Berryessa School District's meal program budget is completely separate from our district budget so that it breaks even and does not encroach on our general education budget. Administrators in our district are given the same salary increase as all employees, and only after other employees' contracts are settled.
   

• LIE #3: I voted to raise taxes 10 times.
  TRUTH: This bizarre attack isn't even grounded in reality. School boards cannot raise taxes. Our Board voted 4 times (unanimously) to place parcel taxes and bond measures on the ballot, which were subsequently and overwhelmingly approved by the voters of the Berryessa School District. One of the parcel tax measures was a renewal of the first one, meaning that there was no tax increase experienced by property owners in the district.
   

• LIE #4: I voted to increase developer fees on new construction.
  TRUTH: State law requires that when housing is built, the local school district gets paid a fee to improve facilities to accommodate new students. Every year, the state sets the allowable amount districts can collect. School districts vote to adopt the recommended rates. Our board has voted unanimously to adjust the rate slightly over the years as allowed by the state.
   

• LIE #5: I accepted a free Apple watch as a school board trustee.
  TRUTH: At a school board conference 5 years ago, I dropped a business card in a basket for a raffle drawing and was the lucky winner of an Apple Watch. The law required me to report the prize as a "gift" on my annual statement. 
   

• LIE #6: I received "21 expensive gifts" as a school board member. 
  TRUTH: All elected officials attend receptions and dinners during the year. In my 14 years on the Board, I attended 19 such receptions (which are legally considered "gifts"), including annual dinners sponsored by our local teachers union, which were attended by all members of our Board. I think you would find that my opponent attended more in 4 years than I did in 14.
   

• LIE #7: I accepted a "large donation" from the Berryessa school district superintendent, whose renewal I will be voting on next year.
  TRUTH: The Superintendent is a resident of the district and made a modest contribution to my campaign. San Jose has strict fundraising limits, so no individual can make "large donations." The Superintendent's contract renewal is not up next year.