Dear Friends, Spring arrived with record temperatures, rising gas prices, international turmoil, and financial uncertainty here in San Mateo County. Please take care of yourself during these stressful times and spend time doing things that give you joy. Go for a hike, have dinner with a friend, take an exercise class, listen to live music. Throughout history, hope and persistence have empowered us. Women’s History Month is a good reminder of that. Everything we got we had to fight for. Women’s right to vote is a perfect example. It took the suffragists 70 years to accomplish that, more about that in a moment. Bottom line, we can never say a challenge is too big or too hard. We can never give up.

Dear Friends, this month, the beginning of three religious and cultural holidays coincided during the same week of February 16th. It is extremely rare that Lunar New Year, Ramadan and Lent start at the same time. The last time the three different lunar calendars aligned was in 1863 and the next time it will happen in 2189. All three holidays represent periods of reflection and charity and serve as a good reminder for all of us to focus on what is important and what keeps us connected. I read a wonderful piece by Joyce Vance on Valentine’s Day titled An Agenda of Joy that had a similar focus. It listed responses from readers who had shared their ideas for handling stress. Many of the ideas were related to spending time with animals, spending time outdoors, cooking, arts and crafts, and music. It was a delightful and inspiring read. I would like to copy Vance’s idea and create our own Agenda of Joy. Please send me your ideas at smcsupspeier@smcgov.org.

Dear Friends, 2026 is not off to a good start. I’m deeply distraught about the killings of citizens, rounding up of 5-year-olds, manhandling and pepper spraying of protesters, assaults on elected officials, and harassment of local law enforcement. As this year marks the 250th anniversary of our democratic experiment called United States of America, the very ideas of our founding fathers are at risk. The federal administration is dismantling the checks and balances of our Constitution and undermining the international world order. We are feeling the impacts right here in our county. We can’t stay silent because being silent is being complicit. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” Be assured that San Mateo County is committed to protecting the rights and security of every resident.

Dear Friends, 2025 has been a year of change and transitions. As we are nearing the end, I’m reflecting on the challenges and accomplishments over the months since I was sworn in on January 6th. My actions were guided by my goal to make San Mateo County a better and more affordable place to live.

Dear Friends, I wish you a Thanksgiving full of family and friends. To me, this holiday is a reminder to express my gratitude to all of you who’ve given me the opportunity to serve. It’s also a wonderful time for me to be with the people I love and reflect on the good things that have come my way. This time is not necessarily a good time for everyone. In October, the board approved an additional $900,000 in emergency funding for food, rent and other safety-net assistance. We wanted to ensure that every family in the county could have a turkey or chicken on the table for Thanksgiving. All county core agencies are hosting one of these food distributions, including protein, vegetables, carbohydrates, and a generous portion of dignity.

Dear Friends, To say that October has been a tumultuous month would be an understatement. The government shutdown, ICE raids across the country, the deployment of federal agents to Alameda, the averted federal deployment to San Francisco, and the looming stop of CalFresh payments have caused anxiety and fear in our community. While we can’t control those federal emergencies, we can control how our county is responding to protect all residents. Let me assure you that we are doing everything possible to be prepared and provide resources to keep you safe. It’s important for all of us to stay peaceful and calm. If you are part of our immigrant community, know your rights and make sure your family has a good preparedness plan. You can find many helpful resources on the county’s Community Affairs page.

Dear Friends, September has been a very busy and challenging month. I’m devastated by horrific acts of gun violence and overheated rhetoric across the country. We have got to turn down the volume on both sides of the spectrum. Another looming crisis is a federal government shutdown coupled with drastic cuts in federal funding that will have consequences for all San Mateo County residents, in particular health and food security.

Dear  Friends, It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is here and summer is coming to an end. While this has been one of the coldest summers in decades, this weekend has proven to be one of the hottest with record-breaking temperatures in several Bay Area cities. I hope you will have a chance to enjoy BBQs, parades and time with family and friends. August was all about families for me. I spent most of my time working on solutions for the child care crisis in San Mateo County and our region. Just last month I was stunned to see a statistic in the Wall Street Journal that confirmed how severe the problem is. The paper reported that San Mateo County has the fifth most expensive child care in the nation, with a median cost of $128,215 for five years of daycare up to kindergarten. The consequences of this crisis affect everyone in the county with people moving away and birthrates dropping. We have an obligation to resolve it and I feel that we have the momentum and support to do so. The public view has shifted and is acknowledging that child care is not only a family need, it is a public need. It is infrastructure that is as essential as roads, bridges, public transit, clean air and clean water.