Chan Leung for Raritan Township Committee

Background:

I have been a Raritan township resident since moving up here from Maryland in 1995. A first generation immigrant, I received my education in Canada, and the co-owner of Data Power (DP), Inc., a private, professional firm specializing in medical writing, clinical analyses and related services. I am married and have a daughter who is a junior in college.
I have always been active in community and volunteer works. Since coming to New Jersey, I have been involved with the 4-H Association. From 2006 on, I have been Vice President of the New Jersey State 4-H Association which serves over 50,000 youth members statewide. My main responsibility is liaison with federal, state legislators and advocating for this leading institution for youth development. In the same year, I was appointed by the Board of Trustees of Rutgers University to the Board of Managers of the university's New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. I have also been serving on the Advisory Board of Rutgers Cooperative Extension for Somerset County, on its Scholarship, BIG (Build, Invest & Grow) and County Fair Entertainment Committees since 2004.
Outside 4-H, I have also been a Resource Investment Panelist of the Somerset County United Way since 2003. In 2004 & 2006, I also served as Peer Reviewer and chaired two grant review panels for NJAfter3, a public/private cooperative first initiated by the Governor's Office to provide affordable after-school care in the state of New Jersey. Recently, I have been invited to join the Board of Directors, Hunterdon Youth Services, a non-profit providing group home services for disadvantaged boys.
In politics, I have been a long-time member of the Raritan Township Democratic Club and Hunterdon DFA. I have campaigned actively for Democratic candidates in federal, state and local elections, especially when serving as Adult Advisor to the Hunterdon County Young democrats in 2004-6. I am also a long-time volunteer at Congressman Rush Holt's district and campaign offices. In 2006, I was a member of the Agriculture Committee, Governor Corzine's Transition Team, and this year, I just finished managing Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign office in Frenchtown, NJ.
I am honored to have been recognized with many awards for my community involvement, including the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders' Volunteer Recognition (2003), the Somerset County United Way/Courier News STAR Award (2003 & 2004), Fellow, LeadershipSomerset (2004), CACA(Chinese American Cultural Association) Volunteer Service Award (2004), Somerset Hill YMCA Volunteer of the Year Award (2005), NJ Association of 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 Service, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (2007-8).

Goals:

I am running because I believe the myopic, do-nothing vision of "minimal" government championed by the Republican dominated township committee must be replaced by a bold and proactive one that will take care of the future and long-term interests of our growing community. My goals are to:
. Promote fair and open government that respond to the long-term needs of this increasingly diverse township, and not just to the short-term, profit-maximizing goals of business elites and developers
. Reform the planning process which is overly tolerant of sprawl and over-development, leading to traffic congestion, high taxes, school overcrowding, pollution and other environmental degradations
. Strengthen fiscal discipline through zero based budgeting, promoting shared services and use of green technology, such as renewable solar energy, in municipal operations and throughout the community
. Address society's legal and moral obligations to the less privileged, such as providing social support service and affordable housing
. Recognize that tightened regulations, such as the new, third-round NJ COAH (Council on Affordable Housing) continuously challenge us to develop creative, proactive approaches in meeting our mandates without bankrupting the taxpayers
.better protect the environment by reviving the township's "tree legislation" abandoned by the Republican dominated township committee, increasing funding for open space while exploring creative, compatible use of the preserved land to realize its full economic and recreational potential for the people of Raritan Township
.Ensure the growth of the township and its future generation by tackling overcrowding at the region's only High School, which threatens to both our quality of education and property values. Will actively engage outside organizations such as 4-H to bring in more resources and opportunities for students to participate in healthy, character and leadership building extracurricular and volunteer activities.

Issues:

1. Fair and transparent government
2. Fiscal discipline without shirking social responsibility to the poor and disadvantaged
3. Planning that looks after the diverse, long-term interests of community, and ensures the growth and 1competitiveness of our township and its youth.

Grassroots Support:

In our township and county, the Republicans traditionally enjoy entrenched advantage in funding, incumbency and registered voters. Mobilizing grassroots and support constitute the only effective "equalizer." But I have personally seen, with activism from progressives such as DFA members, that we can crack this Republican monopoly, as witnessed in the last few election cycles in this township and neighboring Flemington Borough.

DFA Values:

. While I subscribe to the individual's right to be left alone and pursue self-fulfillment under equal protection of the law, I also believe we have certain moral obligation to our fellow men, especially to those who are poor, disadvantaged and less fortunate
. I recognize that the market creates externalities which it usually fails to mitigate adequately or promptly. Society should not stand idly by the social injustice and disparities created by market excesses.
. I therefore support progressive ideas such as universal healthcare, protecting social security and providing social support for the poor and disadvantaged, union rights, racial and gender equality
. I am pro-choice, support sex education and publicly funded family planning
. I believe we are obligated to protect the environment, our existing quality of life and education for future generations
. I have first-hand experience of the importance of being fiscally responsible, as most of my community and volunteer works involves balancing budgets under dwindling public funds and support, coping with mounting social needs by maximizing outcomes and returns on limited funds and donations. To me, being "fiscally conservative" is not just doing as little as possible to stay within the limit of dollars and cents, but to mobilize as much individual initiatives and volunteer energy as possible to maximize results and transcend fiscal and other constraints.