Written by T. Logan Dayne
As the term limit of the current Controller, Betty Yee, is at an end, California will soon elect a new Controller for the position. The position of controller is that of an accountant and bookkeeper to the state to oversee the payout of public funds. This position is one that requires immense fiscal responsibility, accountability, an eye for detail, and the excellence of coordination, and among the candidates one has stood out so prominently as to even receive the endorsement of the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board, Lanhee Chen.
Lanhee Chen has made quite a name in his active participation in political campaigns through the years, even dubbed by Politico as the Republican’s Party “most-courted ideas advisor”, working for a myriad of campaigns ranging from George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, and Marco Rubio. He has also worked as a political commentator for CNN and currently works as a Program Director and lecturer at the prestigious Stanford University. Of his more recent accomplishments, many voters whether they be Republican, Democratic, or Independent, should take notice of his endorsement by the Los Angeles Times, something rarely given to a Republican Candidate in the Democrat state stronghold.
The L.A. Times describe Chen as a “sharp thinker with experience analyzing large financial systems,” while pointing out his dedication to bringing financial transparency to the state. For years California has fallen short of its ambitious ideals, pumping money into problems that don’t seem to get fixed. Democrats have spent billions in education and healthcare and yet California literacy rates are the lowest in the nation and too many people who are Medi-Cal patients still can’t see a doctor. All while homelessness and other problems seem to grow despite the spending. A fiscal watchdog who is independent to the prominent party is what many across all aisles are calling for.
In their endorsement, the L.A. Times Board says that Chen is the best candidate to shine light on what is working and what isn’t in the state noting that he “demonstrates a clear understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the controller’ office-and vowed he will not use it as a perch to push a partisan agenda.” Chen’s pledge is to use the office to “increase transparency and understanding, to spotlight problems and longer-term policy decisions and to restore public faith in state government,” things that have been far overdue in California.
Photo Cred: @LanheeChen on Twitter
