Steve Westly: Why I Support John Chiang for State Controller

By Steve Westly
California State Controller

This November 7th California voters will make many important choices. We’ll decide whether to invest in roads, bridges, housing, schools, and levees. We’ll decide who should lead our state through the next four years. I’ve been doing everything I can to help elect Phil Angelides as the next governor of California, but I’m also concerned about my legacy at the State Controller’s Office.

The Controller’s Office is not a place for termed out legislators. It’s a place for someone with real financial experience and a passion for solving problems in state government. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to work together with other state leaders to do things no one thought possible, such as bringing in $4.8 billion without raising taxes. It’s important to me that the next Controller builds on what we’ve accomplished, and that’s why I’m supporting John Chiang.

The right financial experience. The Controller is not only California’s chief fiscal watchdog, he is also the chief auditor. He’s responsible for making sure our tax dollars are used as efficiently as possible, which means he’s the first line of defense against wasteful spending, and the strongest guarantee that the state will be able to fund the schools, healthcare, and environmental protection we need. It’s a difficult and important job, and it requires a high degree of expertise.

John Chiang is well qualified to handle the complex technical matters the State Controller must address. He has years of experience working as a tax law specialist at both the federal and state levels. He is Chairman of the Board of Equalization and the highest-ranking Asian Pacific American elected state official in California. He’s also a member of the Franchise Tax Board, which I chair, and we’ve worked together to do extraordinary things.

A passion for change. Some people think that the Controller only deals with financial matters, but he actually must weigh in on a wide range of issues. As Controller I sit on 56 boards and commissions focused on issues like oceans protection, affordable housing, pension management, and corporate governance. Some of the most important things I’ve been able to accomplish I’ve accomplished through my board memberships. To give just one example, it was in my capacity as Chair of the State Lands Commission that I was able to lead California to set the toughest standards in the nation against harmful ballast water dumping that was threatening marine life off our coasts.

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