Jul 24, 2023
Show Notes:
Margaret Abe-Koga shares her journey since graduating from the university. She returned to the Bay Area and studied American government, eventually volunteered for Anna Eshoo, a San Mateo County Supervisor. She worked for her for six years before deciding to try other things. She ran a small business and started a Leadership Institute for Asian Pacific Americans at a local community college. After getting married, she decided to start a family and had her first daughter in 2001. People encouraged her to run for political office, and she ran for Santa Clara County Board of Education and Mountain View City Council. She was elected in 2006 and served as mayor in 2009 and 2020.
The Crises Mayor and City Council Responsibilities
As a city council member in Mountain View, she is the first AAPI Asian American Pacific Islander female to serve on the council and is currently serving her fourth term and fifteenth year.
The council's main work is land use, planning out city development, and ensuring services for housing and residents. They are responsible for police, fire, public works, parks and recreation, and run a library. They also make land use decisions and allocate funds for services.
Mountain View is home to Google, and over the last 15 years, Margaret has worked with Google to create a business-friendly community and ensure businesses are mindful of the community. Margaret’s main responsibility is to attend city council meetings. Recently, she has been working on a general plan to create a vision for the city and align projects with it.
Margaret also serves on several regional boards, including the Air Quality Management District, a clean energy authority. She spends a significant amount of time on these boards, attending meetings and meeting with constituents. She also attends community events, such as ribbon cuttings and neighborhood block parties, to get out to the community.
Dealing with Complex Issues of City Council
Margaret talks about how important it is to listen to different perspectives, from libertarian to democrat, and make decisions without making it too personal. The council has a tradition of treating businesses business and not making it too personal, allowing for deliberate decision-making and voting. Margaret talks about the challenge of handling complex issues like housing impact fees and the Brown Act, which prohibits outside discussions. To sway or persuade colleagues, Margaret works with community groups or constituents to gather their input and provide public comment time.
The Importance of Policy Issues and Raising Minimum Wage
Margaret discusses the importance of policy issues and the politics involved in implementing them. One of her major initiatives was raising the minimum wage in Mountain View, which now has one of the highest minimum wages in the country. However, the council did not have enough votes to pass the increase by ballot initiative. Margaret shares what she did to engage and persuade the public and convince council members to vote for the increase.
Margaret explains that the politics of policy initiatives involve figuring out who the players are, what motivates them, and who they are aligned with. She also discusses the costs and benefits of a minimum wage increase.
Margaret emphasizes the importance of data in decision-making, she also highlights the importance of research, and outreach to the business community and public opinion in addressing the costs and benefits.
Working in Air Quality Management and Clean Energy
Margaret talks about the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, a group of 24 elected officials representing nine counties, responsible for ensuring clean air and pollution control. They regulate oil refineries and other pollutants, but have not set regulations yet. Recently, they banned the replacement of gas appliances in 2020 by 2029, focusing on the link between gas appliances and public health issues like asthma and lung cancer. The district is also working on reducing pollution levels in cars, as lower socioeconomic populations often live near freeways, contributing to poorer health. The district is working to combat and lower pollution levels to create more equitable communities, and to address pollution from automobile exhaust and promote more electrification with funding programs that are also available for lower-income households.
Margaret discusses her experience procuring wholesale clean energy and her journey in the industry. She shares her goal of having her own sources and building new sources of energy to increase the grid. The industry is growing rapidly, and she is excited about the innovation happening. Margaret mentions that she has been involved in the Institute of Politics, which allowed her to intern and receive a stipend for her work.
Influential Courses and Professors at Harvard
Margaret mentions Professor Morris Fiorina at Stanford who taught her in a government class.
She also mentions her involvement with the Asian American Association (AAA) at Harvard, which has been a significant part of her work. She talks about how her identity as an Asian American was shaped by her parents' immigrant background and realized the importance of having a voice in communities and the importance of empowering the Asian American community and communities of color. She believes that everyone has a voice in the political process and that her involvement with AAA at Harvard has helped her understand the importance of empowering communities of color.
Margaret is currently running for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and has a website with links to her campaign. She appreciates the interest and support from her peers, and she wishes her the best in her future endeavors.
Timestamps:
04:21 What does the city council do in Mountain View?
09:21 A typical week for a city council member
14:58 Housing Impact fees
19:51 Evolving public sentiment on housing
22:51 The politics of raising the minimum wage
31:10 The impact of the minimum wage increase on housing
35:39 The link between gas stoves and asthma
39:22 What Is the Silicon Valley clean energy authority?
Websites:
https://www.mak4supervisor.com/
http://www.margaretforcouncil.com/