Candidate Statement of Qualifications
I, JAY JAMES, hereby declare that I am a candidate for an elective office in the City of Berkeley, and make the following statement:
1. That my name is Jay James
2. The office for which I am a candidate is Rent Stabilization Board Commissioner
3. That my residence is [Contact City Clerk]
4. The place of my birth is Berkeley
5. My present occupation is Mechanical Engineer
6. I have held the following public offices: None
7. Record of community service: The last 4 years I have been an officer and instructor for SEED. We teach after-school science courses to students in Berkeley and Oakland.
8. I am a taxpayer in the City of Berkeley.
9. In May of this year I finished my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at U.C. Berkeley. As a renter in Berkeley for the past 6 years I witnessed the high cost and low quality of housing offered to students. The high turnover in the student population makes them particularly vulnerable to the issues many renters in Berkeley face. I hope to be an advocate for student renters and ensure the availability of high-quality, affordable housing in Berkeley. An Alameda County Grand Jury recently found Berkeley’s Rent Stabilization Board Agency to “operate without effective oversight and accountability.” In response, the concerns outlined in the report were brazenly dismissed. Unfortunately, without transparency and audits, the rent board agency’s spending and hiring policies the effectiveness of the board will continue to diminish. If elected I will push for greater oversight and treat the Grand Jury report as constructive rather than baseless criticism. I was chosen to run on the “Berkeley Tenants United for Fairness” slate. To find out more visit: www.BerkeleyTUFF.org
10. I refer to the following residents of the City of Berkeley:
Nicole Drake, Member of “Tenants United for Fairness” and Rent Board Commissioner
Judy J. Hunt, Member of “Tenants United for Fairness” and Non-profit Executive
Kiran Shenoy, Member of “Tenants United for Fairness,” Vice-Chair Police Review Commission
Linda Maio, Berkeley Vice-Mayor
Darryl Moore, Berkeley City Council, District #2
Susan Wengraf, Berkeley City Councilmember, District 6
Gordon Wozniak, Berkeley City Councilmember, District 8
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