Shall we follow the herd down the cliff?

Dear neighbors,

Earlier this year, at a city council meeting, I was calling out the flaws of the Mountain Winery development project. I was interrupted many times — not allowed to speak. Another councilmember simply called brushed aside t my views as irrelevant. Later, I was talking to a former CEO of a valley tech enterprise who resides near the Mountain Winery and had been watching. He summarized it as, “You were being treated with contempt. Worse than…” I will leave it unsaid.

Peas in a pod — but I have never had the herd mentality. Why should I follow the herd down the cliff? Never establishment-driven, and that is why the establishment of Saratoga has not supported any of my runs. My alliegiance was always with the people. And that is exactly the reason why we won with the most votes in Saratoga’s election history during my re-election effort of 2018 — beating the mayor quite convincingly.

I am never for politics as usual. It is for the other guys! Just watch my recent debate with Rep. Eshoo. Take 5 minutes, and you will get a glimpse of the independent nature of my politics. I called out a few areas that no one had asked Rep. Eshoo. Many aha moments for you.

Think about it. Who stood by the important issues of Saratoga? Would you like to have a voice like me represent you in Washington?

I don’t play games. I cut to the chase and I work hard to address them. Focused, diligent effort.

I don’t believe in Left or Right…but Forward. I will always do the right thing for ALL the people of our district, taking up issues that no one wants to touch.

Here are 5:

• Took up the fight with San Jose Water Company. We have reduced, rejected or suspended 8 water rate increases so far. Which councilmember would create a water app to make protest easier? Just think! Did you hear from any of the other councilmembers on water?
• Organized hundreds of neighborhood meetings to reduce burglaries — 47% drop, more than any other city. In fact, one of my colleagues did not want me to have the neighborhood meetings. “Rishi, you will drop the price of real estate in Saratoga by talking about crime”
• Spoke against high density housing at El Paseo Saratoga and Quito Village. My housing policies favor maintaining the quality of life of Saratoga.
• Early stance against the Mountain Winery development project. I stood all alone on one side, and the rest of the councilmembers the other side. The people won! The project was defeated.
• Who was communicating during the recent fire threat? Who organized 23 town hall meetings during the pandemic? Who suspended the campaign and called 86,000 seniors during the pandemic offering help with groceries and medications? Proactive communication on all the important issues. I was actually asked by one of my councilmembers to stop the Rishi Kumar newsletter and the constant communication. Really???

Remember one thing — all my work has hyperlink sources that verify it. The proof is in the pudding! It is the career politicians, who have stayed too long, that will embellish inadequacies — 45 of them — without any hyperlinks.

I will always fight for the people as I am against the entitlement and privilege that establishment politicians blatantly showcase. My middle class upbringing is against any and all forms of entitlement, as that is what I have rebelled against my entire life.

We need fearless leaders in elected office! As a hi-tech executive and your city councilmember, I bring a fearless brand of people-centric politics. I’m running in this race for the U.S House of Representatives, because I believe our elected leaders should listen to their constituents. I believe bipartisanship is important, and if elected, I’m willing to work with Republicans and Democrats to solve the issues our district — and our nation — faces.

With your vote today or by November 3rd, I promise to continue addressing your top challenges and be fearless about it, just like I did here in Saratoga.

Voting questions? RishiKumar.com/vote

Donna Frankel’s endorsement:

“I have voted for Anna Eshoo over and over again, and watching this debate, I have to agree that Rishi was prepared and came out strong. I especially like his plans for unlocking the traffic gridlock pre-Pandemic, we all experienced-and once Covid-19 is over, will likely re-experience. With so many people at home and off the highways, it is too bad Rishi’s underground transportation system couldn’t be under construction right now. We do need some younger leaders with more innovative ideas. As my Saratoga City Councilman, Rishi Kumar has re-invigorated neighborhood watch programs, listened to countless residents concerning their immediate needs, organized our youth into activities that will prepare them for college and beyond, and follows up on his words, putting them into action. While I was fully prepared to send Anna back to Washington, Rishi’s answers during the debate won me over. Congratulations Rishi Kumar!

• Donna Frankel -Prides Crossing”

Why is change imminent? “It took a pandemic and social unrest to get everyone to understand how important it is to have great elected officials at every level of government. Next time you are asked to vote, take it seriously. These roles are not just about politics — they can be a matter of life or death”

- Jon Sakoda’s tweet from June 5th