Savvy campaigner in tough fights
Congressional candidate Susan Adams has been in tough races before. In her first County Supervisor race, she eked out a second place position in the primary by 22 votes, then went on to a stunning victory in the fall, with a much smaller war chest than her opponent, but a strong commitment to protecting the environment and the health of the County. Her grass roots campaign won out over big money and political connections.
Adams is the epitome of the Citizen Legislator. As a single mom, she put herself through graduate school in nursing, focusing on women’s health and substance abuse by pregnant women. For 33 years she worked as a nurse, negotiating union contracts and standing up for women’s reproductive health, then teaching in Dominican University’s graduate nursing program, before successfully running for County Supervisor on a healthy communities, healthy environment platform. She has always been a voice for the people, and never for corporate profits.
Record of delivering for her District and standing up to corporate interests
While in office, she wrangled both Federal funds and private capital to bring in such projects as the Community Media Center, a County Health and Wellness Center to serve historically underserved populations and the landmark Marin Clean Energy program, which is now producing local solar energy and has become the model for such programs across the State. To do so, she fought utility giant PG &E which poured millions into a campaign against the local program.
For that effort, she was attacked relentlessly by an industry backed opponent in her bid for her third term as Supervisor. Despite again being outspent, she rallied the grassroots and, by telling the truth about her programs and her accomplishments in office, earned her third term in 2010.
Today, Susan Adams stands firm in her commitment to Medicare for All to bring health care costs down and access up for all Americans. She is once again locked in a battle for second place in the “top two” primary, this time with a heavily financed Silicon Valley millionaire. After three productive terms in local government, Adams is ready to go to Washington and put her experience to work - fighting for local green jobs and the redirection of funds from a war economy to education, health care and infrastructure, including much needed broadband on the North Coast.
Deep roots in the new 2nd Congressional District
As the only candidate with deep roots in the North Coast (She hails from a Mendocino farming family and her brother and his family reside in Humboldt), she understands the needs of a diverse population made up of both rural and urban communities and the economies and environment of both.
And there is no one better prepared to fight for women’s rights in this era of continued assaults on a women’s right to choose, or to stand up to the closed minds who would take us all back to a time when discrimination against anyone “different” was the norm.
Besides all that, Susan is a careful steward of the public’s purse. She has brought sensible pension reform to our County and is proud that Marin has balanced budgets in tough times. She herself declines a County pension, and in Congress would do the same. Here is someone who walks her talk, has the experience of being in the trenches of government and brings the compassion and skills of a nurse and educator to this campaign. Endorsed by The Sierra Club, the Marin Women’s Political Action Committee, the Sonoma Women’s Political Caucus, the American Nurses Association and community leaders up and down the Coast, no one is better suited to represent the new Second District in Congress than Susan Adams. Read her website and Facebook page for more information on this campaign.
As for Adams fighting big corporations or being fiscally responsible...while Adams was refocusing her energy on causes related to climate change the pensions at the county were rising astronomically and the computer system, known as SAP (you'd think the name would have raised some red flags) was being questioned by staff, by the grand jury and by anyone trying to use it. SAP turned into a $30 million dollar boondoggle that Supervisors thought they could white wash by suing Deloitte. Now we have $30 million lost along with a failing court case and its associated costs.
Adams has no experience in the state assembly and her tenure as supervisor has not shown her to be fiscally responsible to her constituents. Claiming the capacity of "Medicare for all" is another example of Adams not minding the shop while she goes out and spends tax dollars that haven't yet been collected. It might feel good to vote for Adams, just as it feels good to think the millions of dollars spent on MEA are creating greener energy through the purchase of REC's (very little has actually been built at this point, most of the energy from MEA is through Electricite Francaise and Royal Dutch Shell, both corporations whose earnings are in the billions). REC's are energy credits you can buy from anyone, anywhere in the world, that produces green energy. REC's don't provide our community with greener energy they just pay for the glory when the money could be going into developing true renewable. I would say most of the claims in this article are reasons not to vote for Adams or any current supervisor running in a race this election.
1. Massive $30 million computer fiasco. 2. Pensions that are not sustainable and will bankrupt Marin County in 20 years. 3. Allow the board staff to support SB 1220. We do not need "business as usual" it is time for a change from entrenched politics.