Here’s a novel approach in California politics: The state has a highly qualified candidate running for lieutenant governor who actually wants the job for what it is, rather than as a stepping stone for governor or another political office.
Piedmont Democrat Jeff Bleich also has the experience to make good on his ideas to improve the state’s higher education system and the environment. Voters should support him in the June 5 election.
Go to the head of the class if you can name the last five people to hold the position of lieutenant governor (Gavin Newsom, Abel Maldonado, Mona Pasquil (acting), John Garamendi and Cruz Bustamante) or anything they did to make the state a better place. More than one wag has noted that the main job each day is waking up and checking to see if the governor is still alive.
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But the lieutenant governor’s important duties include serving as a regent of the University of California system, sitting on the California State University board, chairing the Commission for Economic Development and serving as a member of the State Lands Commission.
Bleich’s background sets him apart from other contenders, including fellow Democrats Eleni Kounalakis and termed-out state Sen. Ed Hernandez; Gayle McLaughlin, who was a member of the Green Party when she was mayor of Richmond and is now a registered independent; and Republicans Cole Harris and Lydia Ortega.
Bleich, partner of an international law firm, has also served as chair of the California State University board of trustees, president of the State Bar of California, special counsel to President Obama and U.S. ambassador to Australia.
His education experience has helped spark some of his creative ideas for helping low-income students. For example, he suggests making food and housing a part of students’ loan packages, with that aspect of the loan forgiven if students complete their course work in a timely fashion. He wants to update the state’s master plan and substantially expand vocational training at CSU campuses to retrain people for the changing economy.
His approach to environmental issues earned him the support of the Sierra Club. He opposes offshore drilling and Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta twin tunnels, favoring instead the greater conservation efforts he witnessed while ambassador to drought-plagued Australia.
Hernandez, an optometrist, has good knowledge of health care issues. But his strong ties to labor unions make him far less appealing than the independent Bleich. He supports the governor’s misguided twin-tunnels proposal and showed little understanding of why public employee pension plans are strapping state finances — which is disconcerting considering he would have a say in decisions about the UC pension plan if he were elected lieutenant governor.
Kounalakis’ campaign is well funded, and her positions on issues are similar to Bleich’s. But she doesn’t have his experience on the higher education issues that are a big part of the lieutenant governor’s work.
Ortega, a San Jose State University economics professor, is well-versed on education, but her conservative approach and her desire to drill for oil off the California coast is not compatible with mainstream California voters. McLaughlin and Harris, a Pasadena businessman, declined our editorial board invitations.
It’s Bleich who has the most passion for the job and the know-how to be a first-rate lieutenant governor. He gets our recommendation for the June 5 election.
