California Today: Could the State Weather a Recession?
John Chiang, the state treasurer of California, is a Democrat running to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown. California Today is conducting occasional question-and-answer sessions with candidates for office, and today is Mr. Chiang’s day at the plate. The interview, edited and condensed for clarity, was done for our story on the race.
Q. What do you think of how Governor Brown has done?
A. Jerry and I are aligned on making sure our fiscal house is in order. We don’t want to be a poor state. We don’t want to be broke — cutting health care, giving pink slips.
Q. How big a problem is homelessness in this state?
A. There are tens of thousands of homeless Californians. Do we take care of the vulnerable who live in the wealthiest state? To leave people in harm’s way is not acceptable. That is why I have tried to shore up the state’s financial position so we have the resources to take care of California’s homeless. The state has to partner with local governments — which I would hope to do as governor.
Q. What do you see as the biggest problems facing California?
A. Education is my top priority. You can’t have the disparate outcomes that you have. This needs to be a state where every child — regardless of background, heritage — gets access to a world-class education.
Q. Are you worried the state is heading into a recession?
A. People are very concerned about where we are in the economic cycle. They are very concerned about President Trump. If you look at the historical pattern, you know at some point we are going to face a recession.
Q. Is California ready for one?
A. The governor has been very prudent on the rainy day fund. But we are not fully prepared for a recession. We’re not fully out of debt. One of the things that I’ve been pushing is, let’s make sure that we start paying everything in full. Look at how some of the other candidates and their cities have done, and their credit ratings.
California Online
(Please note: We regularly highlight articles on news sites that have limited access for nonsubscribers.)
Gov. Jerry Brown announced on Wednesday he would agree to President Trump’s request to expand California’s National Guard presence on the state’s border with Mexico, but said the members would be deployed to combat “transnational crime,” not enforce federal immigration laws. [The Los Angeles Times]
Representative Kevin McCarthy, the majority leader in the United States House, is widely expected to mount a bid to succeed Speaker Paul Ryan, who has announced his plans to retire. [The New York Times]
When it comes to regulating Facebook, Congress is in over its head. But does that matter? [The New York Times]
Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, was often unable to answer questions during two days of congressional hearings in Washington, promising that “my team will get back to you.” Here is a list of those follow-ups he promised. [The New York Times]
A California woman won a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend, who published sexual images of her in an effort to make her “so miserable she would want to kill herself.” [The New York Times]
White students dressed as gang members, including one in blackface, at California Polytechnic State University, prompting campus protests. [The New York Times]
Lacking solutions to shelter displaced homeless people, Orange County has asked the military if it can use its armories. [The Orange County Register]
Officials in L.A. are interested in building backyard housing units for the homeless. [The Los Angeles Times]
The Los Angeles City Council voted to move forward with a long-awaited project connecting LAX to the county’s mass transit system. Service is projected to begin in March 2023. [The Los Angeles Times]
A study by the Brookings Institution found that California would be disproportionately hit by retaliatory Chinese tariffs. [The Sacramento Bee]
And Finally …
The imminent closing of Virginia Bakery, an East Bay store beloved for its cakes and sweets, has been met with an outpouring of tributes from people who swear by its treats, some of whom have shopped there for decades.
“We will miss you, but it’s time to retire. We hope to see you sometime before we close,” the bakery’s owners, John and Anne Erdmann, wrote in a short post on Facebook on Monday. A small sign in the shop, in pink type, bade adieu to its customers. “It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of your family celebrations.” The Erdmann family, which has run the bakery for 65 years, said it would close April 28.
News of the closing has spread widely, and the bakery has seen a run on its products since the announcement. “It’s bittersweet, you know,” Ms. Erdmann told ABC 7. “We’re doing what’s right for ourselves and our family but we also realize that we have a big Virginia Bakery family.”
The bakery’s Facebook page has transformed into something of a memorial.
“Tragic!” Harris Brody wrote. “My parents brought me and my brothers all the time as kids and now we bring our kids. So many fond memories. Enjoy retirement but know that you will be incredibly missed.”
“Thank you for all the beautiful birthday cakes since my first child as born on 1975, topped by my daughter’s wedding cake six years ago,” Heidi Sanders wrote. “We will miss your love, friendship and your shop that makes Berkeley a better place.”
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California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from U.C. Berkeley.
Source:-https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/us/california-today-john-chiang-governor-homeless.html
