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Stan Kawczynski said his experience in local politics would help him succeed on the state level.

Kawczynski sets sites on state seat

Councilman set to challenge Alquist for Assembly spot

By Steve Enders

Days after incumbent Assemblywoman Elaine White Alquist announced her plans to run for re-election, Sunnyvale Councilman Stan Kawczynski said he will also run for the 22nd District seat.

Kawczynski is the sole Republican in the race and has the backing of the Republican Party. In addition to Alquist, a Democrat, Kawczynski will run against Rick Dunstan of the Natural Law Party and Paul Rako, a Libertarian.

The 22nd District includes Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Northwest San Jose, Campbell, Saratoga, Cupertino, Los Altos and Palo Alto.

For the past 13 years, Kawczynski has held Planning Commission and City Council posts. He also served as mayor for one year and is seen by at least one councilmember as a fiscal conservative, and one who provides balance on the council. Councilmember Julia Miller says he often votes in the minority or casts the only minority vote.

He currently sits as chairman of the Policy Committee on Transportation, Communication and Public Works for the League of California Cities, a committee that represents 500 cities in the state.

His knowledge of the inner workings of a successful municipal government like Sunnyvale, he says, is an asset he can bring to the entire state.

"I originally ran [for council] because of the attack on the quality of life [due to] dense housing and unrestricted growth. I still want to fight for that," Kawczynski says.

Despite Kawczynski's background, county Assessor Larry Stone says he doesn't stand much of a chance of beating Alquist in the election. Primary elections will be held this June. The top two vote-getters will go on to the Nov. 3 general election.

"His chances are probably not very good, but handicapping races in today's political environment is very dubious," says Stone, who served on Sunnyvale's City Council for 16 years. He served with Kawczynski for four years.

He describes Kawczynski as a weak leader and communicator, who might not appeal to a wide variety of voters outside Sunnyvale.

"I'm surprised at how fast [Alquist] has emerged as a leader of high-tech and Silicon Valley issues. She's been pragmatic and has been able to take her background in education to provide real leadership," he says. "It should be no contest, but you never can tell."

Kawczynski's platform will focus on education, transportation and crime prevention.

He says he'd like to see California regain its stature as one of the top-ranking states in education.

"We've tried everything and have only made matters worse," he says of the state's education system. "We used to be the envy of the world."

Teachers should be given the necessary supplies they need to help a child succeed, he says. "Let's put back what was taken away. Give them the books, the maps, the pencils and the crayons. Put the arts and music classes back in schools. Teachers shouldn't have to pay for supplies out of their own pockets."

He believes this approach will not only help kids be well-rounded individuals, but will keep them off the streets and out of trouble. The focus on education will, in turn, lower crime, he says, adding that a return to family values will also help.

"There's a shift in society back to family values," he says. "We've taken all the outlets away [for kids]. We've taken away unrestricted free play."

He says the media and parents are both responsible for propagating unnecessary fear.

"If there's no crime here, then the media looks for it in other places. If there's a kidnapping in Oshkosh, Wis., how does that affect anyone in Silicon Valley?" he asks. "What we tell kids is that they can't go outside and play, and this puts fear in them."

Kawczynski says he wants to provide alternatives for children, including after-school and city-funded programs to get them turned on to being productive. He'd also like to get municipal governments to help public schools provide these types of after- school programs.

Also, communities need to develop stronger ties by returning to times when neighbors helped each other when needed, he says.

"People don't want to get involved anymore. They're afraid they're going to be a witness or get sued."

Transportation is another issue Kawczynski says he'll tackle. "We need to find a way to get people around," he says.

Kawczynski is an advocate of public transportation and programs to increase ridership, but he remains skeptical of their effectiveness.

"As society becomes more affluent, less people will ride mass transit," he says.

He believes employer-supported programs to increase ridership will help but are not the complete answer.

"We need to build housing next to businesses," he says.

Kawczynski, 51, was born in Germany to Polish parents. The family immigrated to New York when he was 5 years old.

After high school, he joined the Marine Corps and began learning electronics, a career move that eventually brought him to the Silicon Valley. He attended De Anza College and San Jose State and then got involved in stock trading, which led to his most recent endeavor: retirement planning.

Kawczynski says he'll run an issue-oriented, grassroots campaign, limiting his contributions to $500 per donor.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 25, 1998.
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