Primary Election Date: 06/02/2009
General Election Date: 11/03/2009

Who Am I?

A first-generation Chinese American, my family moved up from Maryland to Raritan Township in 1995. I received both my undergraduate and graduate education in Canada, and operate a CRO (Contract Research Organization) specializing in medical writing & clinical trial research services with my wife. We have a daughter, Jocelyn, who has just started her Master program on a scholarship from Oxford University.

I have always been active in community and volunteer works. Since coming to New Jersey, I have been involved with the 4-H Association, which is the premier youth development organization serving over 50,000 youth across the state. I served as VP of the New Jersey State 4-H Association from 2006-9, and am its President-elect for 2010-13. Last year, I was invited to join the Board of Directors of the Hunterdon Youth Services, Inc., a non-profit providing group home and support services for troubled boys throughout the state for over 40years last year, and was subsequently elected its President for 2009-11. I have also volunteered for the Somerset County United Way for over a decade, and am now an investment panelist reviewing grants for non-profits providing daycare, after-school tutoring and training for at-risk youth. I also sit on the Advisory Board of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension for Somerset County and the Scholarship Committee of the Somerset County 4-H Association.

I was appointed by the Board of Trustees of Rutgers University to the Board of Managers of its New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, the university’s practical arm for agricultural, animal and marine science research, environmental and resource conservation in 2006. This year, I became an Executive Committee member and Chair of the Budget & Advocacy Subcommittee of the experiment station.

In politics, I am a long-time member of the Raritan Township Democratic Club and Hunterdon County DFA. I have campaign actively for our party’s federal, state and local candidates, and served as Adult Advisor to the Hunterdon Young Dems in 2004-6. I am a long-time volunteer at Congressman Rush Holt’s district and campaign offices. In 2006, I served on the Agriculture Committee of Governor Corzine’s Transition Team, and managed Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign office in Frenchtown, NJ in 2008.
I was a New Jersey delegate to the DNC in Denver and to President Obama’s inauguration last year.

I am honored to have been recognized with many awards, including the Somerset County Board for Chosen Freeholders’ Volunteer Recognition (2003), the Somerset United Way/Courier News STAR Award (2003& 2004), Fellow, LeadershpSomerset (2004), CACA (Chinese American Cultural Association) volunteer Service Award (2004), Somerset Hill YMCA Volunteer of the Year Award (2005), NJ Association for 4-H Agents Volunteer of the Year Award (2006), Somerset County 4-H Association Outstanding Service Award (2006), Hunterdon County Democratic Committee’s Carey McWilliams Award (2007), Distinguished Alumni Award, LeadershipSomerset (2007), and Award for Excellence: Volunteer Services, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (2007-8).

Why Am I Running?

I am running because unlike the myopic, “minimalist” approach championed by the Republican dominated Township Committee, I believe that government has an active role in shaping and promoting the long-term interests of our growing community. My goals are:
. Promote fair and open government by webcasting all important Township Committee and Board meetings, to check backroom dealings and undue influence by narrow, vested interests, and to ensure that decisions are made to meet the need and interests of our growing and diverse community.
. Encourage open space and farm preservation not only to preserve the Township’s rural character and quality of life, but above all to check excessive growth which is the root cause of sprawl and congestions, increases demand for services and hence high taxes.
. Revitalize the Township’s economy by establishing an Economic Development Committee to steer well-paid, green and high tech
I am running because unlike the myopic, “minimalist” approach championed by the jobs to the community.
. Strengthen fiscal responsibility through zero based budgeting, supporting the shared services and regionalization initiatives promoted by the Governor, and use of green technology, such as renewable solar energy, in municipal operations.
. Address society’s legal and moral obligations to the less privileged, such as providing social support services and affordable housing. Will use my skill and experience in working with Trenton to resolve challenges posed by tightened regulations, such as the new, third-round COAH obligations, and enable the township develop proactive plans to meet these mandates without bankrupting local residents.
. Last but not least, to ensure the township’s future by tackling overcrowding at HCRHS, the region’s only high school, which threatens to undermine the quality of education our children receive and our property values. Will leverage outside organizations such as 4-H to enhance opportunities for our children to engage in character, leadership and resume building extracurricular activities at little or no extra costs to taxpayers.

Hold Me Accountable!

1. Fair and transparent government
2. Fiscal discipline without shirking responsibility to society’s poor and disadvantaged
3. Planning for a sustainable future that will attract good, green jobs to the township, ensure our youth’s competitiveness and the diverse interests of the community.

My DFA values:

. While subscribing to the individual’s right to choose and pursue self-fulfillment under the equal protection of the law, I also believe that we have certain moral obligations to those who are poor and disadvantaged.
. As we have just witnessed, unbridled free market creates externalities which it fails to mitigate adequately or promptly. Society cannot stand idly by the abuses and social injustice created by market excesses.
. I therefore support progressive measures such as universal healthcare, social security and other support for the poor and less fortunate, the right to collective bargaining, racial and gender equality.
. I am pro-choice, support sex education that includes but not limited to abstinence, and publicly funded family planning.
. I believe that we are obligated to protect the existing environment, rural character and quality of life for future generations.
. Having first-hand experience in my community and volunteer work in balancing dwindling budget with increasing demands, I believe being fiscally “conservative” does not mean hiding behind budgetary gimmicks and short-term cuts, while shirking responsibility to make tough timely decisions necessary for the community’s long-term infrastructures and growth. Instead, we must make the necessary investment that will save taxpayers money in the long-run, while seek to economize spending and maximize outcome by pushing for regionalization and more sharing of municipal services.

My Campaign is People-Powered!

In our county and township, the Republicans traditionally enjoy entrenched funding, incumbency and registered voters’ advantages. Mobilizing grassroots and support constitute our only effective “equalizer.” Activism and dedication from progressives such as DFA members have helped cracked this Republican monopoly in several local elections, such as the one in neighboring Flemington Borough three years ago. We had a very tough election last year when Republicans mobilized all local opposition to the election of President Obama. Thanks to the support and endorsement of DFA groups in both Hunterdon and Somerset counties, I and my running mate lost the last election at a much smaller margin than that experienced by all other Democratic candidates on the same ticket. This year, we count on the support from DFA and other progressives no less!