Why I’m Supporting Kyle Chang and Blaze Bhence In Cypress
Two seats on the Cypress City Council are up for election this November—District 3 and District 4. No matter who is elected, I will do my best to work with them in the interest of serving our city. But I have endorsed one candidate in each district who I am confident will help move Cypress in the right direction—Kyle Chang in District 3 and Blaze Bhence in District 4. And while I’m excited to tell you more about Kyle and Blaze, first, speaking for myself, I want to explain why this is such an important election for Cypress.
As a Cypress resident, you may not be fully aware of what’s been going on with our local government the past few years. That’s okay. As a father of two I know we’re all juggling a lot these days. But while Cypress itself has largely remained a safe, welcoming community—what has gone on in our local government has not been up to the standards that our residents deserve. It’s costing you tax dollars. And our city’s reputation is suffering.
For example, it has become commonplace for some council members to make unprovoked personal attacks against colleagues or residents in the middle of council meetings. Many residents have told me they are afraid to attend council meetings because the environment has gotten so ugly.
The city has also spent millions of dollars on lawsuits that, as an attorney, I think were completely avoidable. And recently, one council member filed a lawsuit against three other council members in federal court alleging unlawful retaliation along with other causes of action. In my opinion, that kind of thing doesn’t happen in a healthy, collaborative work environment. The level of animosity, partisanship, and political gamesmanship on our council has gotten way out of hand.
Perhaps most concerning, is that many residents have told me that they don’t think their perspective is really valued by our council. They feel that council members’ minds are made up before meetings even start. And that many major decisions are rushed through without giving residents a meaningful opportunity to weigh in.
All of those things—personal attacks, lawsuits, and shortcomings in transparency are the opposite of how local government should function. We need to do better. We need council members to not just be civil and respectful, but to actively try to work together, regardless of political party affiliation. We need council members who will welcome constructive criticism from residents and not assume the worst about those who disagree with them. And who understand that big decisions should not be rushed through, but made thoughtfully, with ample community input. That brings me to Kyle Chang and Blaze Bhence.
The reasons I’m supporting Kyle and Blaze are simple—they are smart, hard-working, decent candidates who I am confident will conduct themselves civilly and professionally as council members. I also believe that Kyle and Blaze will always put the community first, ahead of special interests.
Kyle Chang is a public health statistician with a PhD from UC Irvine, who lives in District 3. Throughout his career Kyle has proven that he cares about making other people’s lives better. He has worked to help children with special needs. He has worked with government agencies on research to improve health outcomes for residents in Orange County. Kyle and his wife have two young children, and I routinely see them at our local school and community events, so they are deeply invested in our city. And Kyle has great ideas about making Cypress even more family-friendly and attracting diverse new businesses to our city.
Blaze Bhence is a 25-year resident of District 4 with a great track record of service to our city. He is a retired OC Sheriff’s Reserve Lieutenant, a former Cypress Traffic Commissioner, and former president of his Tanglewood Homeowner’s Association. Blaze has a strong business background as a current business owner and the former VP of a Fortune 500 company, so he knows is way through budgets and contracts. I’ve also been very impressed with Blaze’s knowledge of local challenges and his desire to serve residents. At a recent Traffic Commission meeting, Blaze effectively advocated for measures to improve safety at one of our senior living communities. So I believe that both Blaze and Kyle have the attributes and work ethic necessary to succeed as council members.
I’m also supporting Kyle and Blaze because they are not tied to the special interests that have spent heavily to influence Cypress elections. For years, special interests including Valley Vista Services, Inc. and real estate developers have spent tens of thousands of dollars in Cypress elections to support their preferred candidates. For example, in 2022 an entity called Safe Neighborhoods PAC, that was funded by Valley Vista and developer Christo Bardis, spent $35,650.46 to support three local candidates. And it’s happening again in the 2024 election—a PAC funded primarily by real estate developers and builders has already spent $5,000 to support two council candidates.
The good news is that Kyle Chang and Blaze Bhence are not mixed up in all that. Kyle and Blaze are campaigning the right way. They are trying to knock on the door of every voter in their districts. They are being clear about where they stand on the most important issues facing our city. I have seen both of them have respectful conversations with some of their toughest critics. And you can be confident that Kyle and Blaze will put residents first, because they are not backed by big money from contractors or developers.
With their strong qualifications, experience, and integrity, I think Kyle and Blaze would make great additions to our city council. They will help us move past the ugliness of the past few years. And they will help restore our city’s reputation to where it belongs. So, when you cast your ballots in this election, I urge you to vote for Kyle Chang in District 3 and Blaze Bhence in District 4. In the spirt of community and collaboration, let’s build a brighter future for Cypress.
Submitted by David Burke
Cypress City Council