Chiang hopes his pitch on the money

Treasurer, candidate for governor, outlines vision for California

State Treasurer John Chiang may be running for governor, but 20 years on the financial side of government leaves a mark that isn’t going away.

Time after time Thursday he apologized to the crowd at San Francisco’s Public Policy Institute of California for “becoming a bit technical” or “getting a little wonky” as he explained his plans for the state.

“You’re in the right place for that,” deadpanned moderator Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the policy think tank.

But Chiang didn’t downplay his years of green eye shade experience with the state’s financial battles as treasurer, state control--

ler and member of the state Board of Equalization.

“Sometimes when you know more than others, have expertise, you have an obligation to stand up,” he said during the hour-long event.

As Chiang rolled out his vision for California, he kept returning to the need for any candidate for governor to provide a way to pay for their plans.

Chiang, for example, called for reinstating the local redevelopment agencies eliminated by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011 and revived in muchreduced fashion a few years later, calling the controversial programs one of the only ways to provide cities and counties with money to build affordable housing.

And regardless of what happens to the affordable housing bond on the November ballot, the state has to go back to voters for more money, he argued.

“The $4 billion (in the November bond) is not enough,” Chiang said.

Chiang called himself a backer of the proposed high-speed rail system, which he sees as an important way to foster diversity in the state by connecting affordable housing in the Central Valley with high-paying jobs in Silicon Valley and the coastal cities of California.

That rail connection can be a way of keeping the Latino children of California’s interior in the state as they grow up and look for work, “instead of going to Ogden, Utah,” he said.

He acknowledged the problems facing the huge rail project, which is behind schedule and far over budget.

“We have to figure out how to privately finance” much of the cost, Chiang said, adding that he’s visited China three times and talked with prospective investors.

It’s the money that matters in health care as well, he said.

All four Democrats in the race for governor want to see California convert to a single-payer health care system, although with differing timelines and varying degrees of enthusiasm.

The state’s health care system “is incredibly inefficient,” Chiang said. “I support (Vermont Sen.) Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare for All,’ but we can’t get there immediately.”

As governor, Chiang would determine what resources the state could provide for health care, see what California could expect from the federal government and begin the health care reform effort from there.

“Then let’s build what we can,” he said. “We don’t have to build a mansion. We can begin with a starter house.”

A pragmatic attitude aimed at what’s best for the state is important, Chiang said, even if it means working with President Trump and congressional leaders on programs that benefit California.

“I will always work in the spirit of fairness ... and integrity,” he said. “We want (Washington leaders) to understand we have strong power principles. We will resist ... but we won’t fight everything.”

The son of immigrants from Taiwan, 55-year-old Chiang was born in New York and grew up in the Chicago area before moving to California after getting his law degree. It was a specific choice to become a Californian, he said.

As governor, “I’d be aspirational,” he said. “If there’s anywhere you can dream, it’s California.”

He wants to see that future for California, Chiang said.

“If you want something to happen, it’s happening here,” he added.