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Phil Angelides

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California State Treasurer Phil Angelides

Philip Nicholas "Phil" Angelides (IPA: æn.dʒε.'lid.ɪs) (born June 11, 1953 in Sacramento, California) is the California State Treasurer and the Democratic nominee for Governor of California in the 2006 elections.

Family

Angelides and his wife, Julie, reside in Sacramento with their three daughters - Megan, 27, Christina, 22 and Arianna, 17.[1] His eldest daughter, Megan Garcia-Angelides, is the campus coordinator for her father's campaign. [2]

Education

Early Political Career

Angelides' passion for politics was ignited in 1971, during his college freshman year, when he met anti-war activist Allard Lowenstein.[3] In 1972 he walked door-to-door, campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern. In 1973, while still in college, Angelides unsuccessfully ran for Sacramento City Council against a popular incumbent. He again ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1977 - these races, however, fostered relationships with political and business mentors that lead to later opportunities. He was an early supporter and fundraiser of the eventual 1988 Democratic Presidential Nominee, Michael Dukakis, and maintains a strong friendship with him to this present day. Dukakis has referred to Angelides as "one of the five or 10 best people in American politics today." [4]His work with Dukakis led him to serve as the chairman of the California Democratic Party from 1991 to 1993. He helped to lead not only Bill Clinton to become the first Democrat to carry California in 28 years but also having California be the first state to elect two female senators in the same election, Democrats Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.

After losing in the general election on his first attempt as State Treasurer, in 1994, he was elected to office as a Democrat in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. Also, before his election as Treasurer, he served as Co-Chair of the Sacramento Mayor’s Commission on Education and the City’s Future from 1995 to 1996. A graduate of Harvard University, Angelides worked for a number of years for the state of California's Housing and Community Development agency (from 1975 to 1983).

California State Treasurer

As Treasurer, Angelides is a trustee of the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (the nation’s first and third largest public pension funds[5]). He has been a leader in the corporate reform movement[6] and has advocated for investment in socially and environmentally conscious businesses and for businesses with increased standards of financial disclosure.[7] [8] For example, on April 7, 2006 CalSTRS board members unanimously supported Angelides’ motion to divest from Sudan to pressure an end to the government backed Genocide in Sudan.[9] Also, the CalPERS investment committee approved of Angelides' Investment Protection Standards, which will require that investment banking firms who do business with CalPERS separate their research and investment banking practices.[10] New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer complimented Angelides' plan saying, "I applaud Treasurer Angelides for his actions. Today’s announcement is an important first step in ensuring that these reforms become the new market standard." [11] Angelides, along with 10 other state treasurers and comptrollers, has also called on the SEC to approve a rule giving shareholders the right to nominate candidates for corporate boards of directors.[12]

Gubernatorial campaign

Main article: California gubernatorial election, 2006

In early 2005, he announced his intention to run against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, having made little secret of his ambition for the Governor's Office from the time that Schwarzenegger was elected in 2003. [13] On April 29 2006, Angelides was endorsed by the California Democratic Party at the California State Democratic Convention in Sacramento. Despite this, polls from around that time showed that his opponent in the race, California State Controller Steve Westly, had an advantage in the primary. Angelides' campaign built momentum since the California State Democratic Convention, winning the endorsements of the Sacramento Bee [14] and the Los Angeles Times, [15] two of California's largest newspapers, and the California League of Conservation Voters [16], after a head-to-head debate with Westly. He also received the endorsement of the liberal San Francisco Bay Guardian. [17] A Field Poll held on June 2, 2006 had Westly leading Angelides by one percentage point, 35% to 34% with 26% undecided. [18]

Angelides was also endorsed by Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, Former Massachusetts Governor and 1988 Democratic Presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the California Teachers' Association, the California Professional Firefighters, the California Sierra Club, California League of Conservation Voters, California NOW, Vote the Coast and Clean Water Action. Following his primary defeat on June 6th, California State Controller Steve Westly endorsed the victorious Angelides as did Assemblyman Mark Leno and San Francisco Supervisor Fiona Ma.[19]

On July 7, 2006, Angelides expressed his support for gay rights, and pledged to legalize same-sex marriage if elected governor, stating "I would sign the marriage equality bill because I believe if we can get behind people to build a lasting relationship, that is a good thing." [20]

Angelides has also called for reducing tax breaks for corporations and individuals earning $500,000 or more per year, in a plan to earn revenue to increase funding for public K-12 education and higher education. The plan would halt and repeal increases made in the tuition fees of the University of California system, and the California Community College system. [21] He has stated his opposition to sending National Guard troops to the California-Mexico border and wants to seek closer ties with the President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, claiming that it will help both the economies of California and Mexico.[22]

On May 22, 2006 in Santa Monica, Angelides announced his support for Vinod Khosla's Clean Alternative Energy Initiative (prop. 87) which, if enacted, would assess oil company profits by $4,000,000,000 over the next ten years and use the proceeds to invest into research for alternative energy such as ethanol. The measure makes it illegal for oil producers to pass the cost onto consumers.[23] It also would reduce California's oil dependency by 25% over the next ten years, and would increase the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

On May 23, 2006 Angelides wrote Barbara Boxer, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, urging her to support net neutrality.[24]

Angelides has also endorsed the Clean Money Initiative (prop. 89). The initiative would provide public finances to candidates who can obtain at least 750 $5.00 contributions from voters and who have participated in at least one primary and two general election debates.[25] It would also place new restrictions on contributions and expenditures by lobbyists and corporations.[26]

Throughout the campaign, Westly and Angelides were both accused of engaging in negative campaigning. Angelides presented himself as a more progressive and liberal candidate, and accused Westly of working too closely with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom Angelides shall face in the November elections. Westly accused Angelides of being an anti-environment real estate developer. Westly's ads in that matter were later criticized by the executive directors of Vote the Coast, Sierra Club, California League of Conservation Voters, and California Coastal Protection Network in a letter saying "All of the environmental organizations who do endorsements believe Phil has the vision to be the greenest governor California has ever had. Don't let Steve Westly's attacks prevail over the environmental movement's best judgement in this election." Garry South, Westly's campaign manager, who also presided over Gray Davis' rather negative campaigns in 1998 and 2002, was also criticized over using such tactics, with the environmental groups chiding him for using "false accusations."

On June 6 2006, Angelides won the Democratic primary over Westly with 48 percent of the vote over his opponent's 43 percent. [27]

Angelides' republican opponent, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has since used quotes from Westly's campaign to attack Angelides. Westly, who endorsed Angelides after the primary, countered, "Governor Schwarzenegger has shown great interest in what Steve Westly has to say about the governor’s race in 2006. He’s right to say that and I’m here to tell you we all need to vote for the Democratic candidate, Phil Angelides for Governor in November 2006."[28]

On August 16, Angelides anounced his plans to cut taxes by $1.4 billion for California's middle class and small businesses.[29]

Internet campaigning and outreach efforts towards youth

An unauthorized MySpace web page [1] for gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides was embraced by the candidate’s campaign and is a part of Angelides' efforts in reaching out to young voters and young people across California. During the Democratic primary, both Angelides and primary opponent Steve Westly used MySpace to rally supporters and spread their messages to potential voters. Amongst gubernatorial campaigns, this is notable in a candidate's embrace of current technology and social networking to spread their message and reach out to the growing group of politically-conscious teenagers and net-savvy voters.

While incumbent Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is well-known amongst young voters primarily due to his popular films, a centerpoint of Angelides' gubernatorial campaign has been his outreach efforts to youth and students, encouraging them to vote and take part in the political process, using MySpace, other Internet venues as well as tours of schools across California to promote his plans to strengthen education and expand college opportunities for Californians.

In 1999 Angelides launched the ScholarShare college savings trust, described by the Los Angeles Times as one of "the nation's best," and sponsored a $25 billion bond to relieve overcrowding and repair damaged schools. He stated his intent to increase high school funding by $200,000,000 to hire more counselors in high schools and middle schools as well as increasing admission quotas for the UC and CSU systems by 20,000 students. He has stated that he would "seriously consider" lowering the minimal voting age from 18 to 16 if elected governor. [30] [31] [32]

Real Estate Development

Angelides was appointed president of AKT Development Corp. (a company owned by one of his business mentors, Angelo Tsakopoulos in 1984. In 1986, Angelides founded his own land development company, River West. Angelo Tsakopoulos, Angelides' former business partner, has been a major campaign donor to California office-holders, who, together with Angelides as chair of the California Democratic Party in the early 1990s, disbursed millions of dollars to Democratic candidates. Tsakopoulos has donated over $3,200,000 to Angelides' campaigns beginning in 1993 and for the 2006 gubernatorial race, Tsakopoulos has donated $3,750,000 to Mr. Angelides with his daughter, Eleni Tsakopoulous-Kounalakis donating $1,250,000. [33]

Angelides' development firm, River West, is most known for their development, Laguna West-Lakeside, California (Laguna West], which located outside Sacramento in Elk Grove, California. Laguna West was one of the first developments designed along the principles of New Urbanism. For this project, Angelides was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism on June 11, 2005. Others however, have cited another development by River West, called Lexington Hills, which violated the Federal Clear Water Act by filling in wetlands without federal permission[citation needed].Angelides claimed the violation was due to a bureaucratic error, and has pledged to create more wetland areas. [34] It was also alleged that Laguna West has not lived up to its promise of New Urbanism, with changes to the development making it virtually undistinguishable aesthetically and environmentally from other suburban communities.[citation needed] Supporters note that it is an innovative and ecologically sound community with a variety of houses for low-income families and seniors which encourages pedestrian travel and that neighborhood property values have increased, with an Apple Computer plant opening nearby shortly after the development of Laguna West.[citation needed]

Quotes

  • For to live in an oil-dependent society is to live in fear. The fear of terrorism funded with the very dollars we spend at the gas pump. The fear of war to defend or defeat oil-fueled regimes in the Mideast. The fear of what happens to our families and our jobs when, inevitably, oil prices soar out of sight. The fear of what is happening to our planet and the legacy we are leaving to our children and grandchildren.[35]
  • I believe President Bush is running deficits in Washington very deliberately. His plan is to finally run up so much debt that it inevitably creates pressure on the funding of things that count, in terms of the long-term strength of the society: educating kids, retirement security for American families. A mini version of that is going on in Sacramento.[36]
  • It takes more than empty soundbites to educate a child, more than scorched-earth rhetoric to balance a budget, more than celebrity swagger to care for the sick and the aged.[37]

Trivia

  • In a 2000 episode of The Simpsons entitled "Pygmoelian," there is a character who takes Moe's picture for the Duff calendar, introduced by Duffman as "Duff's Vice President in charge of calendars and fake IDs, Phil Angelides." When asked about the episode, the real-life Angelides acknowledged Simpsons creator Matt Groening as "a friend" and said "By the way, that made me very popular among my three daughters. It raised my hip status among all my daughters and their friends." [38] [39]
  • According to seized Enron emails, during the California energy crisis, Jeff Dasovich, Enron's Director for State Government Affairs[40], called Angelides a "chowder head" and said that he was throwing a "tantrum" after Angelides wrote a letter to the president of the CPUC, urging the commission to end direct access for large business energy consumers.[41]

References

  1. ^ http://www.smartvoter.org/1998jun/ca/state/vote/angelides_p/bio.html
  2. ^ http://www.angelides.com/students/welcome.html
  3. ^ http://www.angelides.com/media/news/2006_0429_underdog.html
  4. ^ www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/28/ING6EJ0UHT1.DTL
  5. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/04/13/BUG2DC78FJ1.DTL&type=business
  6. ^ http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050228/greider
  7. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2000/01/17/MN22704.DTL&hw=Angelides+emphasizes+housing+human+rights&sn=001&sc=1000
  8. ^ http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2006/04/angelides_celeb.html
  9. ^ http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/14240215p-15060060c.html
  10. ^ http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/news/releases/2003/20030818_protect.pdf
  11. ^ http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/news/releases/2003/20030508ips.pdf
  12. ^ http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/news/releases/2004/052704_voting.pdf
  13. ^ http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050316/news_1n16phil.html
  14. ^ http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/editorials/story/14255222p-15070591c.html
  15. ^ http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/elections/editorials/la-ed-governor14may14,1,3674918.story
  16. ^ http://www.ecovote.org/news/angelides.html
  17. ^ http://www.sfbg.com/endorsements/33end-state.html
  18. ^ http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20060604-9999-1n4elect.html
  19. ^ http://www.angelides.com/endorsements/
  20. ^ http://insidebayarea.com/localnews/ci_4024840
  21. ^ http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060525/news_1n25phil.html
  22. ^ http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_3867857
  23. ^ http://www.yeson87.org/page/content/aboutus/
  24. ^ http://angelides.com/issues/net-neutrality.html
  25. ^ http://www.angelides.com/media/releases/2006_0803_prop89.html
  26. ^ http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm#2006General
  27. ^ http://vote.ss.ca.gov/Returns/gov/00.htm
  28. ^ http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=4344707
  29. ^ http://www.angelides.com/media/news/2006_0817_latimes.html
  30. ^ http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/state/vote/angelides_p/paper1.html
  31. ^ http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=4609]
  32. ^ http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:efKO4asKDt4J:www.calitics.com/showDiary.do%3FdiaryId%3D576+%22seriously+consider%22+voting+age+angelides&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2
  33. ^ http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/election/story/14246572p-15064424c.html
  34. ^ http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:SyKrqfZRkN8J:www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14262135p-15075522c.html+laguna+west+wetlands&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=7
  35. ^ http://treasurer.ca.gov/news/speeches/060405_renewable_energy.pdf
  36. ^ http://www.pensionsatwork.ca/english/pdfs/whats_new/0502/Angelides.pdf
  37. ^ http://www.angelides.com/media/speeches/2006_0405_democrats.html
  38. ^ http://basie.blogspot.com/2005/05/basie-interview-with-ca-treasurer-phil.html]
  39. ^ http://www.animationartist.com/General_News/MarNews00/marnews00.html
  40. ^ http://www.lawseminars.com/htmls/seminars/resca/faculty.htm
  41. ^ http://www.enronemail.com/
Preceded by California State Treasurer
1999–Present 		Succeeded by
incumbent
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