* * *
The Rising Rapper-Turned-Politician Unveils
A Campaign Promotional Video On YouTube.com
San Leandro mayoral candidate Sara Mestas (better known by her music fans as “Mo Wiley” continues her campaign fundraising efforts on Friday, July 16 at Loard’s Ice Cream after a successful kickoff event held at the same venue July 2. The event starts at 6 p.m. and includes free ice cream for the first 200 people. Attendees are also encouraged to register to vote during the event.
Mestas has also revealed her new promotional campaign video via YouTube.com where she states her platform, qualifications and commitment to be the next Mayor of San Leandro, Calif.
The rapper-turned-politician officially announced her candidacy for mayor in May at a press conference in front of San Leandro’s City Hall, which was covered by many outlets including NBC 4. The mother of three is an agile political activist whose political career began as a tenant’s member on the city’s Rent Review Board last December. While on Alameda County’s Community Action Board, she recently formed the campaign committee Community & Parents for Democracy, Sara Mestas for Mayor.
In May of this year, she kicked off Forever Leading Youth, or FLY, a company that instills American values by using sports, community service and helping youth with employment upon finishing school.
Mestas continues to prove she’s ready for some “Major League Ballin” (also the title of her debut album on First Kut Records). She’ fashioning herself as the unconventional, break the mold “Robin Hood” candidate, the working class champion of the average taxpayer daring to take on the long entrenched “good old boy” administration that’s in place by exercising her right to run for office. Relating to regular Americans in her community who have, like her, struggled to survive in the current down economy, she aims to give people hope that one’s past does not disqualify them from their future.
EVENTS RECAP:
Friday, July 16
Loard’s Ice Cream (in the Greenhouse)
699 Lewelling Blvd. Unit 140
San Leandro, CA 94579
6-9 p.m.
**The first 200 attendees will receive free ice cream.
BAY AREA RAPPER TURNED SAN LEANDRO,
CALIF. MAYORAL CANDIDATE
SARA MESTAS (KNOWN AS ‘MO WILEY’)
KICKS OFF HER CAMPAIGN AT LOARD’S ICE CREAM
ON FRIDAY, JULY 2 FROM 6-10 P.M.
WITH PERFORMANCES BY LOCAL ARTISTS
TAMIKA NICOLE & TASCHE CRYOR
San Leandro mayoral candidate Sara Mestas (better known by her music fans as ‘Mo Wiley’) commences her campaign with a kick-off fundraiser event from 6-10 p.m. on Friday, July 2 at Loard’s Ice Cream (699 Lewelling Blvd. Unit 140, San Leandro, CA 94577). The event will feature a live performance by local rising artist and 2010 Grammy nominee Tamika Nicole and artist/producer Tasche Cryor, along with complimentary ice cream to the first 200 guests and a raffle for a $100 gift certificate to Macy’s and other great prizes.
Mestas is credited for bringing the San Leandro Junior Giants Baseball League to the city, a kids-play-free league sponsored by Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants. An Opening Day Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. at Thrasher Park (1302 Orchard St., San Leandro, CA 94577).
Mestas officially announced her candidacy for mayor on May 25 at a press conference in front of San Leandro’s City Hall, which was covered by many outlets including NBC 4. The mother of three is an agile political activist whose political career began as a tenant’s member on the city’s Rent Review Board last December. While on Alameda County’s Community Action Board, she recently formed the campaign committee Community & Parents for Democracy, Sara Mestas for Mayor.
In addition to her contribution to the Junior Giants Baseball League, Mestas has been involved in other aspects of improving San Leandro community life. She was recently hired by California’s Police Activities League as the Mentoring Program Coordinator for a $26,842 grant from the Department of Justice to develop a mentoring program for San Leandro Youth. On May 12, she kicked off Forever Leading Youth, or FLY, a company helping youth with employment upon finishing school.
Mestas continues to prove she’s ready for some ‘Major League Ballin’ (also the title of her debut album on First Kut Records) and is fashioning herself as the unconventional, break the mold “Robin Hood” candidate, the working class champion of the average taxpayer daring to take on the long entrenched “good old boy” administration that’s in place by exercising her right to run for office. Relating to regular Americans in her community who have, like her, struggled to survive in the current down economy, she aims to give people hope that one’s past does not disqualify them from their future.
EVENTS RECAP:
Wednesday, June 30
Opening Day Ceremony for the San Leandro Jr. Giants
Thrasher Park -1302 Orchard St.
San Leandro, CA 94577
6 p.m.
WHO & WHAT: The unstoppable rap artist, political activist and mother of three, Sara Mestas (known to her music fans as Mo Wiley) prepares to conquer her next challenge: campaigning for Mayor of her hometown, San Leandro, California.
A press conference will be held on Tuesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. in front of San Leandro City Hall (835 East 14th St.), where she will officially announce her candidacy for Mayor of San Leandro, California.
In the upcoming November 2 election, she will be running against incumbent Tony Santos, longtime city council member Joyce Starosciak and longtime school board member Steve Cassidy.
An agile political activist who has been a tenant’s member on the city’s Rent Review Board since last December, and on Alameda County’s Community Action Board, Mestas recently formed the campaign committee, Community & Parents for Democracy, Sara Mestas for Mayor.
WHERE & WHEN:
Tuesday, May 25
San Leandro City Hall
835 East 14th St.
San Leandro, CA 94577
10 a.m.
** Please email chrissy@luckmedia.com asap if you plan to attend.
]]>The unstoppable rap artist, political activist and mother of three, Sara Mestas (known to her music fans as Mo Wiley) prepares to conquer her next challenge: campaigning for Mayor of her hometown, San Leandro, California.
A press conference will be held on Tuesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. in front of San Leandro City Hall (835 East 14th St.), where she will officially announce her candidacy for Mayor of San Leandro, California.
In the upcoming November 9 election, she will be running against incumbent Tony Santos, longtime city council member Joyce Starosciak and longtime school board member Steve Cassidy.
An agile political activist who has been a tenant’s member on the city’s Rent Review Board since last December, and on Alameda County’s Community Action Board, Mestas recently formed the campaign committee, Community & Parents for Democracy, Sara Mestas for Mayor.
Mestas continues to prove she’s ready for some ‘Major League Ballin’ (also the title of her debut album on First Kut Records) and is fashioning herself as the unconventional, break the mold “Robin Hood” candidate, the working class champion of the average taxpayer daring to take on the long entrenched “good old boy” administration that’s in place by exercising her right to run for office. Relating to regular Americans in her community who have, like her, struggled to survive in the current down economy, she aims to give people hope that one’s past does not disqualify them from their future.
“What prompted me to run for mayor,” she says, “I got resistance from the San Leandro Police Department and City Manager when I tried to start a San Leandro Police Activities League. They were uncomfortable with me being the face of the organization because the video for my single ‘You Can’t Touch It’ they say is provocative and they also said my music promotes gangsterism and sex. The whole point of launching my music career with an album about the streets is to tell people about the hard places I came from in my youth that listeners could relate to—and then show them with later recordings just how I have matured and evolved since then. There would be a huge disconnect if I did that first without showing the sequence of events that brought me to where I am now.
“I also think the way the current administration runs San Leandro leaves a lot to be desired,” Mestas adds. “The City Manager recommended that we cut crossing guards out of budget this year. I also was one of the main persons responsible for getting the crossing guards back in San Leandro last year, and plan to do it again before school is back in session this fall.
And while we’re making all these cuts to other vital services like transportation, schools and crucial youth services, the city manager has taken 50 percent pay raise and is now making over $200,000 a year. These kinds of skewed priorities are not conducive to the mission of San Leandro or the quality of life for San Leandrans. They want to raise taxes but I say we offer incentives to attract quality businesses to the area or promote employment for our residents. And when people who think of moving to San Leandro and see the attrition rate in our schools, they’re going to run. The city needs someone like me who has been affected by these concerns and is not afraid to get involved and take action for the common good. I am willing to get out there and do the necessary work, I am not an incumbent, so I feel I will not be persuaded by special interest.”
The following are highlights of Mestas’ platform:
Education – “A major overhaul on the current education system – it is a City issue and it is vital to the overall quality of life in our city. We need to instill a Zero Tolerance policy on drugs, and violence in our school; 55 percent of the city’s children are not proficient in Math and English, 21 percent of children in San Leandro end up dropping out and 35 percent before the 10th grade, and 10 percent of the children dropping out go on to commit juvenile crimes.”
Public Safety – Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Strategies will be mandatory for the San Leandro Police Department. “We will put our Resource Officers back in our schools. I say NO to cutting crossing guards. It is only .006 percent of our General Budget. I am committed to the safety of seniors and young people alike in their homes, at school and on the streets.”
Business Incentives – “Offer incentives for quality new businesses and residents to move to San Leandro. Concentrate on employment for everyone, youth, as well as the experienced worker by working with the State, Alameda County, Port of Oakland and others to achieve this goal. Also offer incentives for City employees to live in San Leandro.”
Environment – “Save the View, Save the Bay, – it’s time that San Leandro’s Marina flourished again, with activities for the young and old alike. It’s time for us to be innovative, and green. We have to be an example for others cities, changing our vehicles to Eco-Friendly vehicles, and spreading awareness to the community regarding the importance of sustainability practices.”
Mestas is also focused on improving transportation and efforts for a more eco-friendly San Leandro. She also says NO to the State of California mishandling the city’s money to close its budget gap, which is also one of the reasons she opposes tax hikes.
Since becoming involved in San Leandro politics, she has made a great impact in many areas of community life. Mestas was recently hired by California PAL as the Mentoring Program Coordinator for a $26,842 grant from the Department of Justice to develop a mentoring program for San Leandro Youth. She is also responsible for bringing the San Leandro Junior Giants Baseball League to San Leandro, which allows kids to play for free; she secured the sponsorship from the San Francisco Giants major league team. She has also secured sponsorship for the program from Round Table Pizza, Litvinchuck Realty, Wal-Mart and The Northface.
On May 12, 2010, Mestas began to incorporate Forever Leading Youth, or FLY as the youth named it. It is a company that will employ young people from 14-24 first. This is a program that will allow young people something to do when they get out of school, and put money in their pocket. Since she had the desire to put the sports component in the PAL program, she hopes that she will be able to keep this going in San Leandro next year as well, and stresses this program will engage the youth in community service as well as, the community as a whole.
Despite any speculation that Mestas’ campaign for Mayor is to ultimately gain album sales, she states that “90 percent of her net earnings will be put back into the community, whether I win the Mayor election or not.”
PRESS CONFERENCE DETAILS:
Tuesday, May 25
San Leandro City Hall
835 East 14th St.
San Leandro, CA 94577
10 a.m.
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BAY AREA HIP HOP ARTIST, ACTIVIST
AND CONCERNED MOM HOLDS PRESS
CONFERENCE ON CRUCIAL CHILD SAFETY
ISSUE AT CORVALLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
IN SAN LEANDRO TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 22 at 8:15 A.M.
The San Leandro Resident Invites Mayor Tony Santos,
School Board Members And A Former Crossing Guard
To Event Protesting City Budget Cuts
That Would Eliminate School Crossing Guards
A dedicated political activist and devoted mother as well as one of the Bay Area’s most dynamic emerging hip hop artists, Mo Wiley will be holding an emergency press conference in her hometown of San Leandro, California to protest city budget cuts that would eliminate school crossing guards.
The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 22 at 8:15 a.m. in a crosswalk in front of Corvallis Elementary School, where her 10 year old child attends school. Invited guests include San Leandro mayor Tony Santos, members of the San Lorenzo School District Board, and Juan Contreras, a 19-year San Leandro crossing guard who will offer his testimony on the importance of crossing guards and the role they play in keeping the community’s children safe. Wiley will be speaking on behalf of the local PTA.
The City of San Leandro recently announced that they were cutting their budget for elementary school crossing guards in the city’s two school districts, the San Leandro Unified School District and the San Lorenzo Unified School District. While this program has long been run by the San Leandro Police Department, the city is trying to shift the responsibility for child safety onto the already cash-strapped school districts.
Wiley and her fellow concerned citizens by attending important City Council Members, have been able to get the city to reconsider this crucial public safety decision, and maybe we should consider opening up the CIP improvements, possibly by special election, to the citizens of
San Leandro. They are urging the city not to let the safety of the community’s children to rest entirely on the school districts. Residents can sign an online petition at www.mowiley.com.
“The city manager said on September 17 in a city meeting that he has an emergency public safety fund, and they want to city to use it and create an Emergency Public Safety Fund for these crossing guards until they can come up with a workable solution with both districts. Ultimately, we want the city to shoulder half the costs and responsibility, because we believe the districts should be in the business of educating our children, not public safety. It’s crucial that they put an interim program in place. Kids can get hit while waiting for these entities to come to an agreement!”
Wiley, a onetime EMT tech in the Austin, Texas Children’s Hospital pediatric ICU, is driven by the memory of a child who came into the emergency room dead on arrival from being hit by a car in a crosswalk WITH a crossing guard. “The U.S. Department of Transportation says that thousands of children between the ages of 5-15 years are injured and killed each year before and after school hours due to auto-pedestrian accidents,” she says. “Children’s cognitive skills between the ages of 5-9 are not developed enough to keep them from darting out in front of traffic, let alone watch for multiple cars at many intersections.”
Wiley, whose 11 year old attends Washington Manor Middle School, is currently volunteering every day to help cross the children at Corvallis—along with several other volunteer teachers and parents in San Leandro. Drawing on her recording and performing background, she is also creating an educational DVD dedicated to educating parents and children on safe routes to school and how to stay safe crossing streets when there is traffic as well as safety and strangers. The video will include a new version of her hit single “You Can’t Touch It (‘Less I Say So)”, which she calls “You Can’t Cross (‘Less I Say So).”
Wiley is keeping busy with numerous exciting entrepreneurial activities as she awaits the upcoming release of Major League Ballin’, her highly anticipated debut due to drop this fall on Kent Entertainment’s First Kut Records.
In August, the multi-talented performer (www.myspace.com/missmowiley) was down in L.A. shooting a video for the track with director Ian Fletcher, whose credits include the clip for DJ Quik’s “Tonight’s The Night.” Building on the momentum of her opening gig in May for Wu-Tang Clan’s Cappadonna at the 24K Lounge, Wiley performed on August 2 at the King of the Streets 2009 Car Show Tour at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on a bill with Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs N Harmony, The Jacka and Mellow Man Ace. She is planning a tour centered on performances for U.S Troops for later this year and into 2010.
In 2008, the artist incorporated with several partners the Mo Wiley Children’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding, sheltering and educating our youth. While the organization’s ultimate aim is to start an orphanage and a rehab facility for both parents and children to straighten out their lives and be productive members of society, the foundation is currently involved on a local level with several schools in San Leandro. Wiley would like to work with the district to help a choir class at one of the schools write six original songs; she will then donate the original beats and music along with 1,000 CDs of the songs for the school to sell at their annual concert to raise money for the music program.
“In a recession, I think we all have to think of creative ways for coming up with funding as well as learning,” she says. “I hope this is a project that will grow.”
Inspired by the negative media and blogosphere attention received by Oakland in the wake of the March, 2009 shooting of four OPD police officers by a single assailant, Wiley—believing that the city has many good children and families—recently launched a second community based organization called For The Streets, by The Streets Youth Foundation; its mission is to serve the needs of at risk inner city kids. Wiley and her cohorts are currently putting together a series of fundraiser activities to raise money for the foundation, which will include age appropriate live musical performances and activities. Brand new school clothes, school supplies and backpacks will be given away at these events.
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