Chiang lists priorities in busy Valley visit
EL CENTRO — Education, inclusion, fiscal responsibility and the Salton Sea were the major conversation points of John Chiang made during an official visit to the Imperial Valley on Friday.
Though Chiang has visited the Imperial Valley in a few occasions, the California State Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate had the opportunity to have a more holistic tour of the area, which included a stop at the Salton Sea, Imperial Valley College, the LGBT Resource Center, a lunch with labor unions and a public event in Calexico.
Chiang, who addressed the media on Friday morning, said he plans to visit all 58 of the state’s counties as part of his campaign to have a better understanding of the pressing issues in each community.
“It’s very important to get involved…” he said. “... this is such a large state that you have to be out in communities to hear the voices, you have to hear how people feel. You can’t govern very well if you’re not responsive and are not hearing the communities’ voices.”
Chiang, who has been the State Treasurer since 2015, said if elected he would focus on three overarching goals, which include education, healthcare and housing to ensure the state remains one of the top economies in the world.
“I want to make sure this state’s top priority is to make sure that every child regardless of community, gets a world-class education...” Chiang said. “...we are going to spend money on things that are important, we’re going to spend in education, we’re going to spend on healthcare and we got to spend in housing, because if you don’t do those things right, everything else collapses.”
Chiang argued that by making good and effective investments in those areas, the state can also look into saving to be better prepared for any economic recession.
He also praised the effort of Gov. Jerry Brown to have an emergency fund of $13 billion by the time he leaves office and wants to continue to build on that.
Chiang warned if California experiences another mild recession for the next three-year period, the state could get hit with a revenue reduction of up to $55 billion over a threeyear period.
When it comes to local issues, Chiang said he’s aware of some of the most pressing challenges such as air quality, employment and the Salton Sea, with the latter being a focal point of his visit.
“What is happening today is a start, but frankly it needs to be expedited, it’s not a criticism, but we’ve been talking about this for over a decade, promises were made for over a decade,” Chiang said. “If you keep delaying, delaying and delaying it (restoration) gets more costly. You ought to make sure you’re taking action and progress even when times are tough to put in whatever money you can so you can continue to make progress.”
As far as the motivation behind his run for governor, Chiang said he wants to pass on the best California possible to the next generation.
Other topics he touched on included a close partnership with Mexico when it comes to trade, and expressed his support for the state’s immigrant population, which he said is a critical aspect of the state’s growing economy.
Chiang’s visit comes one week after the visit made by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and locals are also working to bring Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom to the Valley as well.