by: Officer Juan Reyes

VANGUARD: My interviewee for today is Councilwoman Madison Nguyen. We're in her 18^th floor office and it's a gorgeous day out with a heck of a view. Councilwoman, thank you very much for inviting us here today to your office.

NGUYEN: Thank you for being here.

VANGUARD: I know it's the day after Easter and it's been a wonderful weekend, and we've had this interview scheduled for quite a while, and some other issues have come up through the union and so forth, so again thank you for the opportunity.

Madison, why don't you tell us a little bit about where you're from, and where you were born and raised.

NGUYEN: I was born in Vietnam. My family came here in the early eighties. Our first U.S. destination was Scottsdale, Arizona. Obviously, we're tropical people so the weather there during the winter months was really cold, so we relocated to Modesto, and that's where I was raised. I went all through elementary, junior high and high school there; I worked in the fields with my parents pretty much until I graduated from high school, and then I went on to college. We worked alongside with the migrant farm workers. It's the Central Valley-that's pretty much all you could do with a family of our size. We have nine kids, so there are 11 of us, and whenever we reached the age of 12 or 13, we had to go and work with our parents, picking anything you could imagine-cherries, apricots, peaches, pears. We picked them, sliced them, canned them and dried them. That was the bulk of the work I did when I was growing up. I went on to college at UC Santa Cruz, and then on to the University of Chicago for graduate school. I then came back to Santa Cruz to pursue a PhD in sociology.

VANGUARD: Where are you amongst the nine kids?

NGUYEN: Right in the middle. Four older siblings, four younger ones, and we have two boys and seven girls.

VANGUARD: Wow. Okay. So you guys were basically a migrant family. Is that what brought you from Arizona to Modesto? That type of work?

NGUYEN: Pretty much, yeah. My dad was working as a janitor for the church that sponsored our family from the Philippines; we were in refugee camps for a number of years. Then when we relocated to Arizona, he was working with the church but a janitor's salary couldn't pay for a family of eight. My sister was born in Modesto, so she hadn't been born yet. We had a friend who lived in Modesto at the time and he invited us to move out there to get work in the fields picking fruits, and that's how we started.

VANGUARD: So, in Vietnam, what did your family do?

NGUYEN: My father was a fisherman in Vietnam. My mother tended to the family and sold the fish he brought home. They're just normal labor blue-collar workers, and they're used to working with their hands. That's why when we came to the U.S. they thought the Central Valley was the appropriate place for us to raise a family. It was small enough and we didn't have to deal with the limelight of a big metropolitan city, just coming from Vietnam to America. So my dad thought it was a good fit for our family at the time.

VANGUARD: What got you interested in college?

NGUYEN: It's ironic how we came here with the vision that this is the land of opportunity-the gold mountain-and when we got here, there wasn't any gold anywhere.

(laughter)

NGUYEN: A lot of opportunity, yes there was, but for me, going to college was not an option. It was a necessity. It was the way out to have a middle-class lifestyle, you need to go to college, and that was the lesson that my parents bestowed onto us: make sure you graduate from high school because you have to go to college to get away from this lifestyle in the Central Valley. You're not going to be stuck here for the rest of your life. We all went to college except for my oldest sister who got married rather early.

VANGUARD: Your younger siblings-are they still in high school? College?

NGUYEN: No, they all graduated. I have two sisters who are teachers, and then most of my siblings have small businesses, so they're doing rather well. They have a middle-class lifestyle and they chose the more practical fields when they were in college, unlike me. I chose to study history, so I didn't know what to do with that when I graduated from college with a B.A. in History, so I went on to graduate school.

VANGUARD: So what was your goal?

NGUYEN: My goal…I didn't really have a goal at the time. All I knew was that whatever I wanted to do with my professional career, it would have to do with helping people. It has a lot to do with the fact that when I was working the fields with my parents, we saw the mistreatment, discrimination, harassment and prejudices that migrant farm workers endured. I knew at the time that whether I became a college professor or a judge that it would go back to helping people. I had gone to graduate school hoping to become a college professor.

VANGUARD: Is that something you still want to do?

NGUYEN: Absolutely. I was teaching at DeAnza and Evergreen Valley colleges before I got involved in politics. After I got elected, I had to put everything on hold, including my PhD studies. So when I'm done with politics, I'd like to go back to teaching. I like being in a classroom.

VANGUARD: I understand you recently were married?

NGUYEN: July will be one year. It's been a roller coaster, as you can imagine, with the "Little Saigon" issue. It happened right after we got married and it hasn't been the same since. I'm hoping I won't get served with divorce papers any time soon.

(laughter)

VANGUARD: You're still on your honeymoon actually-

NGUYEN: Yeah, but it doesn't feel like it though.

VANGUARD: Hopefully he's a strong man and a strong supporter of you. In politics, like law enforcement, you deal with the hour, the commitment and the time. It's important to have someone that will stand by your side.

NGUYEN: He's very understanding, and has a lot of patience, which are two of the most critical characteristics that I could ask for from a man right now. Without those, it would be very difficult.

VANGUARD: I agree. Any family in the future?

NGUYEN: We haven't thought about it. I know that being an elected official, the time that your position demands is pretty tremendous, so in order for us to have kids, my schedule would have to be a lot more flexible than it is now, and there is such great demand to attend neighborhood meetings, social, community and political events…

VANGUARD: I can see that. So, why city councilwoman?

NGUYEN: I'm a big avid reader of Ghandi, and one of my favorite quotes of his is, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." For me, you can advocate for changes in the local community, but if you're going to sit there and ask for and expect those changes without doing it yourself, then really, you shouldn't be asking for too much. You need to be the agent of change, and go out and seek that change. For me, being a sociology instructor, it was a good career at the time, but I realized that I could only change 50-60 students by being in the classroom. By being an elected official, I have the capacity create change for a lot of people, and a lot of young people are constantly looking for role models-I know I was when I was growing up. Politics has had this negative connotation in the Vietnamese-American community given the fact of our history: we fled from a communist government so we don't have a very trusting relationship with local elected officials, and I'd like to change that. The day we came to this country, we were seeking democracy and freedom. The dynamic of politics between Vietnam and here is completely different and I wanted to advocate and instill that sense of hope in young people, as well as for the immigrant generation that came here like my family. That's why I got involved. I thought being an elected official allows you to bring your ideas to the table and you can be the agent of change.

VANGUARD: Who was your role model?

NGUYEN: My mom. It's a cliché to say that, but she truly is. She raised nine kids without a formal education, and got our family to where we all are today. I think that's very bold and she's really a woman warrior in her own right. She has done so much to help us become better people. I've always looked back and remembered that we were just a refugee family but because of my parents' sacrifices, we were given the lifestyle and the kind of lives we wanted to lead, and create a better future for our children.

VANGUARD: I think it's pretty admirable-going from Vietnam to the Philippines to a refugee camp, and then being held together as a family from transferring countries, ending up here in the U.S. and still having all of her children together. That in itself is huge, and then to be able to get you all to the point where you're somewhat successful. I think that speaks volumes for you, and same thing for John Nguyen who's our caterer at the police department.

NGUYEN: I know John very well.

VANGUARD: Same type of story.

NGUYEN: John was actually the caterer at our wedding.

VANGUARD: Wonderful, John's a great guy. Just to learn about your family's travels and struggles…it's nice to see how well you've capitalized on the abilities you have to succeed. Everything is there, but you've got to want it. A lot of times, people expect to be given things, and it appears that a lot of people that come to this country with nothing end up doing well because they know what it's like to have nothing. Wonderful role model, your mom.

So what was it that got you interested in public service? There had to be one thing that made you say, "I've got to do something."

NGUYEN: It has a lot to do with growing up and working in the fields with other migrant farm workers. For example, we worked with a lot of Mexican farm workers. I was young at the time, and I didn't really see the difference between the two races. All I knew was we were poor, we had to work and we had to use our hands. We were under the sun every single day. For me, I saw the Mexican migrant community as one of my own, and that's the reason why when I went to UCSC, I spent more of my time walking with the migrant farm workers in Salinas than I did attending classes. I was hungry for change. When my family came to America, we were very poor. We had a hard life. I didn't want to see that being passed on to future generations, no matter what race or ethnicity people are. That passion is always inside of me-that blood runs through my body-and I would say that's the foundation. The other thing is when you attend college, you begin to see the difference between the haves and the have-nots. What about the middle class? We see the haves and the have-nots so much in the Southeast Asian countries where 5% of the people are so wealthy, but the rest of the population is very poor. Here in America we have the middle class, and if there is any way that I can help people become more "middle class" that would be a good goal to have. I'm just a councilmember; there's not much I can do in terms of trying to help everybody, but at the local level, in my community, if I can provide the services that working families need, then that should be where my vision lies. That's the foundation for my decision; given my upbringing, it wasn't all that glamorous, but it's important to have that because it really grooms you into the person that you are, and you can never forget where you came from. Whatever issues you choose to take on, you have to understand that it's for the benefit of working families.

VANGUARD: So how long have you been living in San José?

NGUYEN: I graduated from the University of Chicago in 1999 and came to San Jose around 2000; I've been here for eight years. I came here to continue graduate school. While I was attending school at UCSC, I got involved in the Vietnamese community in San Jose because it represents the largest community, city-wide, besides Orange County. I also realized that the Vietnamese Americans have done so well economically, socially, they send their kids to the best schools-but what was lacking was the political voice. I am the first Vietnamese woman elected in the state of California, so imagine if I hadn't run, we would have had to wait a while for someone else to take that route. I decided it was the right time to become more engaged and involved in the community.

VANGUARD: What do you see as the reason for the lack of interest in the political field? You mentioned that Vietnamese had a lack of trust in their elected officials-did you feel that by being college-educated and more involved with the Vietnamese community in San José that you could break the barrier?

NGUYEN: I wasn't really thinking about breaking the barrier. I was studying the immigration patterns amongst the ethnic communities, and it's really relevant for all of us. When a migrant, minority community comes to America, the first thing they worry about is having a roof over their kids' heads, putting food on the table and having financial security before they even consider giving back to the community. That's relevant for all communities. How can you think about giving back to your community when you can't even give to your own children? Our Vietnamese community has only been here for a little over 30 years, so now that they are more financially stable and becoming more middle-class, they are ready to give back to the community. That's why you are seeing more people become engaged in politics. The notion of being intimidated by elected officials and not trusting them is one factor, but the other is being a part of the migrant community and needing to be stable before giving back and getting engaged.

VANGUARD: Do you consider yourself to be the person that opened up the gates?

NGUYEN: Yes, to a certain extent. That was one of the reasons I decided to run for public office in 2002. At the time I was about 27 years old, and winning or losing didn't matter-I just wanted to open the door for our community to become more engaged in the political process.

VANGUARD: Do you have any further political aspirations?

NGUYEN: I don't know. I am going to be here for another six years, so that itch to go back into the classroom is always there. Then again, to be able to create this type of change at this age is very fascinating. If opportunities permit, I'd like to continue being in public service.

VANGUARD: When were you elected?

NGUYEN: I was elected in a special election in 2005 to finish out the former councilmember's term, and then my official first term started in 2006.

VANGUARD: What area do you represent?

NGUYEN: I represent Council District 7 which includes Capitol Expressway, Center, Tully, King, Story Road, so right there on the east side.

VANGUARD: What are some of your goals for the City of San José? I know that every city councilperson has something they want to attach themselves to. Where do you want to make your mark?

NGUYEN: Public safety is a huge priority. Unfortunately, in any community where you have people that you represent that come from a lower socio-economic background, there tends to be a higher level of crime. It's unfortunate but historically, it's always been like that, and I'd like to see that change. I'd like to work more with SJPD and other law enforcement in the county to address some of those issues to lower crime rates in my district. Just last week we had another incident at Yerba Buena High School, which is also in my council district. We've got the reds and the blues coming together and fighting again. If we have a good relationship with SJPD and other law enforcement agencies, we can create plans to prevent that.

I'm also an advocate for affordable housing, again because it's a big need for the constituency that I serve. There's a big need in my district to be able to construct and develop more affordable housing units for those working families.

The third goal I have, which is really not that critical for a city councilmember, is education. I think that even though most of the school districts are pretty much governed by the state and they get their revenue-80%-from the state, we as a city can play a critical role in terms of providing extra funds we have to ensure that those after-school programs are happening. Children who are monolingual need that extra academic push and after-school assistance, and we can provide that for them.

Those are the three key issues I'd like to be associated with and take the lead on whenever I can.

VANGUARD: We have our FTO training out in District 7. What inroads have you made in trying to work with the Gang Investigations Unit or the Homicide Unit or the PD in general?

NGUYEN: I'm a member of the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force, and that's important work that we're doing to address the issues of gangs and crimes in our city. I work very closely with Captain Richard Calderon to identify areas in my district where there is a high rate of crime and gang activities. I also work very closely with the police department right now, and our Assistant Chief, Dan Katz, is always in touch with me. One of the things I'm looking forward to doing is putting together a crime prevention summit to get the neighborhood associations to come together and help us all work together to address these issues. Historically, we've had the policy makers going to the community and announcing what needs to be done. It doesn't really work-we don't know the reality of what's really happening in the neighborhoods. A more effective approach would be for our residents to tell us what's happening, and give the elected officials, policy makers and law enforcement officers, direction on how to work with them collaboratively. It should be a bottom-up instead of a top-down approach. Councilmember Nora Campos and I are trying to put together a summit for some time in the fall.

VANGUARD: Is this for all the districts in the City of San José, or is this for other agencies to come from outside?

NGUYEN: We are trying to get as many community members or neighborhood associations as possible to come together, and then we'll invite law enforcement officers and outside agencies to come and listen to our residents discuss some of the incidents that have taken place.

VANGUARD: So more of a grass-roots type summit where the residents have more ownership of the direction?

NGUYEN: Yes, and this time we'll be the listeners, and the residents will own the issues. They can share with us what they think needs to be done. It's at least worth a try.

VANGUARD: Absolutely. You can't go wrong, especially with the way things are and the spike in crimes and homicides. It's a tough year, but that's a good start.

So, what's a typical day like?

NGUYEN: I work about 8-10 hours per day. I spend 9am to 4pm meeting with constituents, developers, nonprofits, CEO's, etc. Prior to 9am I have some off-site meetings to discuss non-business related items, and in the evening I attend community meetings or neighborhood association meetings, political and social events. I start at 8am and am done around 8pm or 9pm, but it's not consistent.

VANGUARD: Do you give yourself 24/7?

NGUYEN: I do. I usually go to bed by 2am. I still function like a graduate student. I don't sleep that much-maybe that's how I'm able to keep off the weight. I wake up around 7am, and then I'm very energetic most of the time. Life is good. It's pretty exciting to be this young and this energetic and be engaged in the community from all aspects. Not just talking to my constituents and listening to their needs, but meeting all these great people, like you. You can't ask for anything better than this position at this age.

VANGUARD: Speaking of constituents, you've been embroiled…I mean, holy mackerel…you really hit the bees nest there. So this recall issue regarding "Little Saigon"-did you ever expect this to happen?

NGUYEN: No. I knew coming in that this would be a passionate issue for a lot of Vietnamese Americans. I knew it would be difficult to create something new and different, but when you're the first to do something, you don't have any life lessons or mentors telling you how or what to do. There is no one giving you cautionary warnings. You just have to dive in, and it's trial and error. If you're successful, great, but if you make mistakes, you need to learn from them and not repeat them. I think that when it comes to working with an ethnic community, there's a lot more demands and expectations. I always imagined if a non-Vietnamese offered this designation to our community, would she or he receive the same treatment that I have? I can speak for the community when I say that every community member seems to expect a lot more from their community officials. I don't know why, but they do. Coming in, you already have that in the back of your head-there will be a lot of demands placed on you, and you just need to do the best you can.

Another thing is I just want to do something great for San José, but specifically for the Vietnamese-American community. For the first time, the city wants to designate this area as a Vietnamese retail area. That's huge-that's going down in the history books. Unfortunately, with all the things that played out, it's all been rescinded, and now we've returned Story Road back to its original condition. To some extent, I'm very sad about the whole episode. I think it's unfortunate that this was supposed to be an economic development project and it has turned into political upheaval, and now we've ended up with no designation, no formal recognition, and no financial assistance from the City to develop this project.

VANGUARD: I guess they will be able to put up a sign?

NGUYEN: Yes, with their own private funds. It's only temporary. It will stay up for three years, and if afterward they want the sign to become permanent, they have to follow council policy which is being drafted right now. They'll probably have to work with the business owners on that road. It's really difficult for me to go into a business or residential district and impose a name on them without getting their permission or feedback. If I was a business owner, I don't want some elected official naming my area. How would that individual feel? They've been working there for the last 30 years trying to revitalize the area and with all due respect to the "Little Saigon" supporters, at the end of the day, I have to be fair, and I have to be equal to the people that have helped to revitalize that area. I know that some of those folks might be shoppers there, but they're not the ones who made the area what it is today. You have to give credit where it's due, and that's why I stood strongly against the idea of imposing a name on a specific area that people don't want.

VANGUARD: Overall, nobody came out with anything.

NGUYEN: Pretty much, and it's unfortunate. The "Little Saigon" supporters are happy that they got their name although it's only temporary. But if that's what they're happy with then they can certainly claim victory. That's completely fine with me.

VANGUARD: Is the recall still in place?

NGUYEN: I'm not entirely sure. The day that I get served with an official document would also be the day that they can start circulating the petition; and that hasn't happened yet.

VANGUARD: What was the support like from your fellow city councilmembers?

NGUYEN: It was great. We have a couple of councilmembers who felt that the name "Little Saigon" should be given to the community, but the majority of the councilmembers have been extremely supportive, and I think that this issue has become one of those defining moments for me. It has tested me in so many ways-my strength, my conviction, my sense of loyalty amongst my constituents-and it's symbolized a test of time.

VANGUARD: You don't feel like you let your people down?

NGUYEN: No, absolutely not. I have been attending a lot of community events and I've been receiving a lot of support. If you look at the population of the Vietnamese-American community in San José, we represent nearly 10%. That is a lot of people. At the most, when these folks were looking for support for the name "Little Saigon," at most they had 2,500. So you take 2,500 out of 100,000-what does that tell you? I think I also gained a lot of political support from non-Vietnamese constituents, and I think that's important to note. When I raised my right hand and was sworn in as a council member, I took the pledge to represent everyone in the most fair and equal manner. That's what I'm trying to do, and even though I'm Vietnamese-American, I was elected by all people to represent all people. It's my duty to ensure that I will be that person for them.

VANGUARD: I know from what I've read in the media is you have developed a lot of other support, and there are a lot of people inside and outside of District 7 that were supporting you and telling you to stand tall and not let a few people take you off track. With the way things ended with the sign, I guess you can see it as a win-win, but it was more of an appeasement for the people from "Little Saigon." So what is that area called now?

NGUYEN: Story Road.

VANGUARD: I just thought it was a lot of wasted energy. I think the whole community could have come together, supported it and really made a name for this city.

NGUYEN: If they have the same passion to help me combat some of those gang activities, it would be so great to have that passion and energy injected into an issue that actually affects the livelihood of our constituents. Wouldn't that be awesome for all that energy to come together for that grass-roots forum and have that communication amongst law enforcement, city officials and constituents to help lower the crime rate in our District and in our city?

VANGUARD: Maybe if all those that were packing City Hall could be sent an invitation to your symposium and have them get involved with their community, it could be a positive thing. I know that the San José Police Officers Association supported a no-recall vote for you. We made that known. I know that we're there to support and assist you.

With that being said, since you've been on the city council, what are your views of our police department?

NGUYEN: My views haven't really changed. I know I had that one incident back in 2003 with the Tran shooting, but that was my first real encounter with SJPD. I've always had great respect for the law enforcement officers who serve our community. Without them, we wouldn't feel safe, and I'm a big supporter of all the services that the police department and individual officers provide. At the end of the day, we feel safe because we know you guys are out there. It's very different from Vietnam-in our country, we don't trust law enforcement or elected officials, and here, you guys provide that safety net for us. In ethnic communities, you are being appreciated more. There are certain groups- like teenagers-where there's a lot of intimidation, but they know they are doing something that is wrong. For the majority of working families, it's nice to know that we have dedicated law enforcement officers who love their job, are on-call 24/7 and whenever we call 9-1-1, we get the service that we need. Transitioning from a resident to an elected official, I always try and do my best to make sure we provide that support for law enforcement officials.

VANGUARD: It's a budget year for POA as well as a lot of other unions, and one thing you see in the paper a lot is a shortage of staffing. What's your view on that? Do you have any ideas?

NGUYEN: I think for a lot of us, public safety is the top priority. That's where we usually focus our budget and where we want those funds to go. The fact of the matter is if you give to this department, you have to cut elsewhere. That's the reality. You have to manage it in a way where whatever you cut doesn't create such a negative impact that you're going to see a change for the worse. If you provide less money for recreational activities and more money for public safety, you'll realize in six months that these kids who don't have recreational activities are now doing other things on the streets. That will then require even more services from the SJPD, so that's not a good balance. We want to cut in areas where we can still have law enforcement in the neighborhoods, continuing to do what they do, and not take them away from their primary duties. As a member of the Mayor's Budget Taskforce and the Chair of Public Safety, I would love to have more police officers on patrol, have more officers on-staff, but how can I do that without working them to the bones? That's something to consider.

VANGUARD: Since you're on the budget committee, what do you think of our POA team? I don't want to encroach on the Brown Act, but what's your relationship with the union?

NGUYEN: Bobby Lopez and I have a great relationship, better than any of the former presidents. He's out there trying to represent the union the best he can and provide the best support possible, and trying to bring forth the needs of your union, and he's doing a great job. I think he understands the role of elected officials-there are certain things we can and cannot talk about-but maintaining and nurturing that relationship really help us to understand where the POA is coming from when it comes time for negotiation. Having that open dialogue is good. I don't want to hear from just one side when I have to make decisions that affect people's salaries and retirement benefits. I want to hear from both sides.

VANGUARD: That's good to hear. Bobby is well-versed. He's been around for a long time, and he has the entire union's best interests at heart. I was just curious how your relationship was with him.

What's the feeling of your colleagues on the board? How do they feel about safety? You said a few people have made it a priority to put safety first-is that the majority of the city council?

NGUYEN: I think so. Every strategic planning session we have had in the past two years, since Chuck Reed became the mayor, has had it as a priority. Now their approach might be different in terms of allocation of funds to public safety, and I can't talk for them, but given the recent spike in homicides and the increase of gang activities, we don't really have a choice. It's a necessity where we consistently have to hound the mayor's office and demand more money in the public safety domain. It's hard to negotiate and make it anything different than putting more money into public safety.

VANGUARD: Fair enough. What we can do as a department to help?

NGUYEN: I think open communication is a must. We have to work together because we're all here to serve the community, and put the community first. When I have a good relationship with people, it brings out the best in me. We can work together to resolve some of these looming issues in our community.

VANGUARD: Madison, do you have any hobbies?

NGUYEN: A lot! I'm very athletic-I've played sports all my life. I snowboard, I go on hikes and I used to play golf but someone just stole my golf set.

VANGUARD: You're kidding.

NGUYEN: I know, it's unfortunate. I'm a big movie buff. For two hours while I'm in the theatre, I don't have to think about what goes on in the world. I also read a lot. I read travel books and pretend that I'm in a different country. When I say that I read a lot, people are surprised. Every Tuesday I have a huge binder to review, but that's different. That's very dense reading. I need recreational reading too. I'm reading two books right now-one is about Henry VIII, and the other is about San Francisco former Mayor Willie Brown. It's called Basic Brown. My favorite hobby is photography-not landscapes, but people, seeing their emotions. I'm amateur, and it gets my mind off work.

VANGUARD: You're a charismatic individual. Where do you like to go out to eat?

NGUYEN: Any restaurant at Santana Row is good. We're so fortunate to live in San José where we have such a diverse range of ethnic foods, you can never go wrong. I hardly cook. You can eat a different style of food every day, and it's relatively cheap. Yes, I like to go out and hang out with friends and not talk about politics. Most of the time that's all we talk about-you can't help it if it's your profession.

VANGUARD: The San José on'trying to bring forth the nff work. and not talkt about politics. wrong. i public safety.

e don'trying to bring forth the né Police Department Foundation-what are your thoughts on that?

NGUYEN: I don't know much about them. I work with Bobby from the POA a lot so I know more about the union, but I've been introduced to them by Rich De La Rosa. Rich and I are going to have a meeting and he'll brief me more on what they do.

VANGUARD: Are we going to get you involved in a bowl-a-thon?

NGUYEN: Oh yeah, I signed up already. I've got a check for $250.

VANGUARD: It's a new foundation put through the City of San José's police department and all funds raised from this event will help provide safety and technology equipment for our police and Canine Unit. It's been a few years that it's been up and running, and now Retired Lieutenant Scott Cornfield was one of the originators of it. It was his vision, his idea, and he helped promote it. It's a great foundation, and we look forward to seeing you. Who will you be bringing along?

NGUYEN: Just my staff. We're going to have a "Team Madison" so we can take home that trophy.

VANGUARD: "Team Madison," huh?

NGUYEN: Rich said to me, "Are you sure you don't want "Team Little Madison?" I said, "Don't you start with me!"

(laughter)

NGUYEN: People aren't going to leave me alone on this one for a while.

VANGUARD: Maybe we can get the word out and get everyone to compete.

NGUYEN: Each councilmember has at least four staff. You could have five people on each team.

VANGUARD: Good way to get people together and get away from politics.

Madison, I want to thank you for this opportunity. It's been a pleasure, and it's nice after talking with you, I feel like I've known you for quite some time.

NGUYEN: Thank you, Juan, I look forward to working more closely with San José Police Department and the POA. I'll be here for a while, and we need you guys more than you know, especially in a district like mine. I'm looking forward to that open communication and relying on each other to serve our community.

VANGUARD: You know we always have an open door at the POA, open meetings and you're always welcome.

NGUYEN: I love to go to your events because you have such great food.

VANGUARD: Thanks again. I wish you all the luck, and if there's ever an opportunity where you need us, I hope you know you can count on us.

NGUYEN: Thank you very much, Juan.