Honorable Malia M. Cohen from San Francisco, California

10/30/2019

Honorable Malia M. Cohen

c/o California State Board of Equalization

455 Golden Cate Avenue, Suite 10500

San Francisco, CA  94102

Dear Honorable Cohen,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in learning history including social justice. In these subjects, I like to learn the need to make civil rights stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, support social justice to make communities safe, and many others.  Honorable Cohen, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work when you served as Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisor from the District 10^th and as current Member of the California Board of Equalization from the 2^nd District to be very inspiring to me.

When you served as Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisor from the District 10 from 2011-2019, I truly appreciated on how you were a strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights, supporting funds for women including minorities businesses to help compete in the economy,  and working with other members of San Francisco Board of Supervisors to expand on laws to combat against hate-crime to help protect minorities including people who are different.  On the economy, I liked on how you supported expanding on jobs-training programs to help train youth including workers to develop work-skills to help prepare for the work-force and advocated for the need to raise the minimum wage to help assist minimum wage workers afford to live.   Supporting funds for renewable energy resources to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, encouraging companies including industries to use energy-efficient products to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, and working to expand funds to help improve city services to help clean parks including water resources to make them safe for people to use is common sense to protect the environment from pollution.  To improve education, I like on how you support funds to improve special education to help people with disabilities get accommodations they need to learn, push for after school programs to provide students with help on their assignments from tutors, and expand on literacy programs to help youth including adults develop reading skills or improve on comprehension.  In January 2019 , I was amazed on how you made history on becoming the first African American woman to become Member of the California Board of Equalization from the 2^nd District.  In your current role as Member of the California Board of Equalization from the 2^nd District, I like on how you are a continuous strong supporter of civil rights, push for environmental protection, and advocate for education reform.  Also in your role as Member of California Board of Equalization from the 2^nd District is how you support improving tax filing or business registration online to help make it easier for people who want to start their business to file application, support expand funds to help repair minorities communities to help repair them, and push for tax-credits on small businesses including local businesses to help them hire people to work for them along with be part of the community.  Another thing that I like about your work as Member of California Board of Equalization from the 2^nd District is how you are an advocate for ethics reform like ban on gifts to public officials including staff members from lobbyist or lobbying groups to reduce corruption, continuous supporting programs to help people who are low-income or people who are homeless get the care they need, be a vigorous supporter of immigration reform to help protect immigrants including refugees from being oppressed. Also I like on how you are a strong advocate for criminal justice reform like  supporting drug treatment programs to help drug users get the care they need to reduce drug abuse,  working with law enforcement to expand resources to help victims of crime or victims of domestic violence get help on dealing with their trauma, and support the need for laws to help reduce police misconduct like body cameras on law enforcement.

Honorable Cohen, I have autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  Also your role as former Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisor from the District 10^th and as current Member of the California Board of Equalization from the 2^nd District gives me motivation to continue  to learn history including social justice. My future goal is to someday work in these areas to help emphasize the need to make civil rights stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, and the importance to improve social justice to improve communities. In August 2019, I enjoyed the Pistahan Festival where I got to learn about Filipino culture and see you give a speech about the need to improve diversity along with a strong emphasis on making social justice stronger.  Also I enjoy meeting you at the event.  My letter is a gift to you for inspiring me and to wish you a Happy Birthday for December 16. 

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference for society. I’m very proud on how you support civil rights, protect the environment, advocate with support social justice, and many others. You have inspire me to work hard on my disability and to continue to learn history including social justice.  Also I enjoy meeting you in SF during the Pistahan Festival.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make  great difference, and inspiring me. Please continue to make a great difference for society.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick

In August 2019 I got to meet Honorable Malia M. Cohen who is  current Member of the California Board of Equalization from the 2^nd District  during my trip to San Francisco, California