Politics is the lifeblood of the work we do,” said CFT Vice President David Yancey. “Great political allies are worth their weight in gold.”

Yancey was talking about former Assemblymember Paul Fong, his fellow faculty member in the San Jose/Evergreen Federation of Teachers, who the CFT honored with its Appreciation Award. Yancey lauded Fong for having courage and integrity during his time in state electoral politics. “Whenever we called, whatever the issue was, Paul Fong stood up.”

Yancey recalled that when CFT put forward the Millionaires Tax, Fong’s was the first voice against Gov. Jerry Brown’s more conservative revenue measure.

“I’m deeply honored you are my brothers and sisters,” Fong, a political science instructor, said. “If not for all of you and your values, I would not be where I am today.”