Dear Editor:

Many of our neighbors have informed us of an anonymous “push-pull” telephone survey being used to lie to voters about our mother, Jean Quan.  Masking as an opinion poll, the phone call is apparently intended to “pull” voters away from our mother as a candidate for city council and “push” them towards one of her opponents.

Among many untruths, the anonymous telephone survey tells voters that: “Jean Quan, while a school board member, sent her children to private schools.”

Fact: We have nothing against private schools, but we are proud Skyline High School graduates and grateful for the rich education we received there.  Lailan graduated from Skyline in 1999 as Valedictorian, Student Body Vice-President and newspaper editor.  She is now at Columbia University.  Will graduated from Skyline in 1995.  He is now studying medicine at UCSF.

This negative campaigning is difficult to accept. As we have walked door-to-door for our mother, we have been encouraged to hear that many people in Oakland agree.  Regardless of how you vote on March 5, we hope you will join us in condemning this behavior.  Oakland deserves better.  Our public schools deserve better.  Public leaders like our mother, who have taken on some of the toughest jobs in this city, deserve better.

Oakland needs to hold its public leaders accountable, but it should do so fairly, openly and honestly. Our mother has been a model of integrity and hard work.  She turned our school system around when most people had given up.

This letter may not undo the harm done to our mother’s reputation, but please be clear: We are proud to be Skyline Titans.  And as her children, but also as Oaklanders, we are proud of our mother's commitment to Oakland.

Sincerely,

Lailan Huen, Skyline ‘99

William Huen, Skyline ‘95