LaShae Sharp-Collins

LaShae Sharp-Collins was born in San Diego, California. She earned a high school diploma from Lincoln High School. She also earned a bachelor's degree in Africana studies, a master's degree in education, and an Ed.D. in education leadership, all from San Diego State University. Sharp-Collins is the Community Engagement Specialist in the San Diego County Office of Education. Her career experience also includes working as an adjunct professor in the Department of Africana Studies at San Diego State University and as district director for Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D).

Sharp-Collins has served on the boards of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, the San Diego NAACP, the San Diego Urban League, the Educational Enrichment System, and the Association of African American Educators. She has also served as a founding member of the Black Women Institute for Leadership Development, as a member of San Diego BAPAC, with the San Diego Unified School District Lincoln Cluster, as a coach for youth sports, and on the PTA.[1][2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

The 79th Assembly District has been my home my entire life. I understand the issues we face, and what needs to be done, from making all of our older homes safe from methane fuel leaks, to fixing the 125 in the La Mesa, Spring Valley and Lemon Grove areas.

Born and raised in this district , as a single mother, I bought my home in the 79th, and raised my two children here. I am lucky because my parents still live here. I understand the issues and the struggles we face because I've lived them. In office, I will find ways to reduce rents and make mortgages affordable so that my children and yours can still afford to live here.

I graduated from public schools and attended San Diego State University where I earned a Bachelors, a Masters in Multi-Cultural Education, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership. I have been an adjunct professor for 14 years at San Diego State University.

I love my job as the Community Engagement Professional in San Diego County's Office of Education where I design and implement learning augmentation programs across 760 schools with positive outcomes for over 500,000 students. I will take these successes to Sacramento. My goal is to make every classroom excellent so that zip code does not determine the quality of a child's education.

On the Board of Planned Parenthood for 6 years, I will fiercely defend and expand LGBT and women's rights to reproductive freedoms.

In my spare time, coach softball, football and cheer.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Protect Women's Right to Reproductive Freedoms.

When a 50-year-old ruling that women for generations have relied upon can be overturned by zealots, we must be very watchful to stop every incursion that attempts to soften or truncate our rights. I served on the Board of Planned Parenthood, so I will recognize those attempts to whittle away our freedoms, which is why I pledge to vigorously protect our rights to abortion and reproductive healthcare. I am endorsed by Reproductive Freedom for All and Planned Parenthood.Every Student Receives a World Class Education.

Count on me to:

Invest in our schools, teachers, staff and students.

Increase funding for K-12 education for additional resources to reduce the achievement gap.

Expand access to early childhood education programs so all children have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Expand access to college by reining in costs for students and prioritizing in-state admissions.

Provide financial assistance for community college students to reduce the financial burden of higher education.

In partnership with local unions, increase access to vocational training programs to prepare students for well-paying, local jobs in growing industries. I am endorsed by the California Teachers Association.Advocate for Affordable Housing for All.

Buildings are going up but small one bedroom units are renting at $3000 per month for an entry level apartment! At these rental rates, and mortgage debt loads, housing is simply not affordable anymore. We must do better.

We need to use State Land for housing for seniors, foster youth, teachers and education workers, nurses and medical workers, and all levels of state, and county government employees. It will be much cheaper than eventually having to raise all salaries by $3000 per month--or more--so our workers can stay in this state.

When housing is this far out of reach we have failed our children and our grandchildren. I am endorsed by the Working Families Party

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Our environment. Our Homes.

Methane gas at .02% has the same harm as coal. A Stanford study showed ongoing steady methane fuel leaks in older appliances in older homes, built from the 1950 to 1990s. Most of the housing in AD 79 was built in this timeframe. These leaks contribute significantly to GHG emissions and methane exposure illness. Methane is linked to cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological issues, including asthma and dementia among many others.

I will work to retrofit or replace gas burning appliances beginning with seniors, disabled persons, and families first as they are our most vulnerable populations. I am endorsed by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, MD, Sierra Club California and the California Medical Association.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Fidelity

Defined as "faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support." Fidelity is at the core of public service.

Ethics

An elected official without an internal ethical compass to guide their decisions is a "Sharknado," swirling in chaos, biting and twisting their fellow members in an attempt to force the body in which they serve to the will of their wealthy overseers, often for self-serving interests and personal gain.

Empathy

If an elected official cannot truly comprehend what their constituents are saying then they will not recognize nor write legislation that will be in-service to the people of their district. One of the main jobs of an elected official is to sort through thousands of pieces of legislation and extrapolate the potential impact of each bill on their residents should it become law. This means knowing how the residents of their district live and what their struggles are. If an elected official cannot empathize with what their constituents are facing then they may not be able to recognize nor comprehend a solution when presented.

Capacity

Because the body of an elected official's district, and the body of the State, is a mélange of many different groups and neighborhoods, with differing perspectives and needs, an elected official must have 1) the capacity to hold in their minds the reality that two things can be true at the same time, 2) the capacity to reconcile differing perspectives and needs to a best fit solution, and 3) the capacity to recognize when and where it is not possible.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Fidelity, Ethics, Compassion, Capacity

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Being in close contact with the District to know what the District needs and wants.

Forging a strong working relationship with colleagues in their legislative body.

Being able to effectively communicate with precision the effect their proposed bill will have and what it will accomplish.

Understanding the structure and knowing how to effectively work with the Legislature and the Governor's Office.

Making sure their office staff has clear knowledge of the structure of the budget, legislative committees, and is in touch with the various Departments of State, and familiar with all the services they provide to the public.

Placing the constituent first.

The willingness to support their colleagues in their house.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

September 11th attacks and I was 21 years old.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Amicable.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Protecting LGBT and women's rights to reproductive freedoms from multi-pronged attacks . There is a movement to ban abortion nationwide. California is somewhat immune, but not perfectly so. We must educate our young about what a loss of their rights could look like and how to preserve them.

Fixing our education system from Pre-K through Bachelor's degree. Every classroom should have an excellent education, no matter the zipcode. Studies show having infant care, toddler childcare and pre-K reduces criminal behaviors later in life. This in turn reduces imprisonment, increasing safety and reducing prison costs by BILLIONS.

AFFORDABLE housing, the costs to build must be greatly reduced, and what is built must be TRULY affordable, not just lip service.

Methane leakage from appliances in homes built between 1950 and 1990, which, according to the US Census Bureau, is nearly 10 million housing units in California. According to Stanford, this creates a serious methane bloom over our cities and is a pernicious greenhouse gas that lasts for decades in our atmosphere heating the world. We must fix this. People cannot keep inhaling it, and our atmosphere cannot keep absorbing it. Extreme heat is a serious problem that comes with climate change. First refits are housing with seniors, disabled persons and children.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. I believe it is beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in STATE government. Interacting with the management systems of governance for 40 million people is very different than being on a board or council for a small district or city. The learning curve is steep and It takes years of experience to become familiar with, and to interact with enough State departments and their offices to really get a handle on the big picture of state government; how it functions over time, and how to work within the systems for best and highest results. The experienced person knows what kind of language parameters need to be in bills for enforcement, for definitions, for integration and more. I worked in Dr. Shirley Weber's Assembly Office for nine years, and these are skills I possess. I am endorsed by California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber and Senator Toni Atkins, President pro Tem Emeritus of the Senate..

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, it is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators. That's how we learn about their districts and share our issues and our solutions. We all need each other to fit our bills together in the giant puzzle that is the code of the State of California. We need to know how these bills will fit into that code and understand how they will interact with our constituents in real life. We do this in partnership with each other.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I have no desire to go to Washington DC other than to visit. I do not foresee a statewide race anytime in my near future.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Yes, the legislature should both grant and oversee, the use of emergency powers, and be able to insert course corrections to the Governor's Office along the lines of preventing fraud and waste, and increasing maximum outreach and efficiency. Oversight is needed to ensure these powers have not been used improperly, nor altered or differing too far away from the purpose and rationale under which the powers were granted in the first place.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I am the only candidate in this race endorsed by:

California Democratic Party

Planned Parenthood

Sierra Club California

California Teachers Association

California Nurses Association

California Medical Association

California Faculty Association

Dolores Huerta Action Fund

Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber

Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber

California Senator Toni Atkins

State Treasurer Fiona Ma

Senator Emeritus Ben Hueso

Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry

California Democratic Legislative Women's Caucus

California Legislative Black Caucus

Supervisor Monica Montgomery Smith

San Diego City Councilmember Henry Foster

La Mesa Vice Mayor Patricia Dillard

and over 120 more endorsements.

lashaeforassembly.com

What committees interest you?

Aging, Education

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

We need more transparency and accountability.

Covid focused a harsh light on the havoc the lack of oversight and transparency wrought; California lost $20 billion dollars. When the question of funding arises for the money to fix education or fund other reforms, there are many places we can look at for best and most effective use of funds. I formed and lead a committee to examine school districts' use of funds and saved a lot of taxpayer money and improved education. I will do the same in office.