MILPITAS: Rose Herrera, candidate for the City of San Jose's District 8 spoke to key south bay Indo-American Leaders about her vision for Evergreen and San Jose at Swagat restaurant in Milpitas.Dr. Rajinder Singh opened the meeting praising Herrera for her work on the Sikh temple issues in the 1990s.

He stressed "We have really come here tonight to accomplish something, and that is to introduce and elect Rose Herrera, the woman who helped us when we had the crisis of moving the temple to the Evergreen Area". Singh also stated "We need someone who will go there not empty handed, but one possessing abilities, the likes of which Rose has".

Dr Chopra followed saying "She's been part of our community and knows the pulse of our community". He also added "Rose knows the pulse, we see her as the best bridge to other communities and we have a lot of trust in her abilities".Herrera spoke next outlining her concepts of increasing the number of H-1b visas and reminded attendees of the pressing need to build bridge's within District 8's diverse communities.

Citing her 30 plus years in the area Rose stated "The kind of concerns you have for Evergreen aren't something that you learn, its something in your blood" she also added "Diversity strengthens our community…we have an urgent need to bring all groups to the table and make sure their voices are heard on city-wide commissions".

As a former CEO, Herrera also believes that "We need to encourage companies to come to San Jose, and stay in San Jose" and later cited the need to increase city revenue's to try and solve future budget shortfalls.The meeting ended with a brief question and answer period from several members of the audience. One attendant Yogi Chugh asked "Recently, the Indian and Latino communities have been in disagreements over current school board issues, how will you resolve these issues?" Herrera responded "Will each community get exactly what they want?

No, but it is important we find common ground between communities and instill a sense of a greater mission with respect to each groups storied cultures". Herrera was also asked about the development of political leaders in the Indian community to which she replied "Through advocacy groups we can train and help natural leaders evolve and aid them in preparation for future political opportunities". Rose also met key individuals like Anima Desai, Vijay Thapar and Gordip Sekhon.