APANO Action Fund

CANDIDATE SURVEY

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1. Please describe your win plan and your top campaign priorities.

 

My win plan is to spend our more modest campaign budget more efficiently than our opponents (we have an extraordinarily small overhead and with UFCW 555’s endorsement we will be relying on their generous in-kinded printing, and we will be assembling advertisements in-house), and connect to the Oregonians who do vote in the Treasurer’s race with a message and plan uniquely worthy of that office.  It has been a long time since any Treasurer ran on a platform of more than talking points, and as I bring a presentation of my “Platform for Oregon’s Financial Future” to Democrats around the state, the reception is one of interest and engagement.  Further, I have committed to self-financing the bare minimum budget to cover overhead expenses and a modest media plan, which allows me to focus on raising further support from ordinary Oregonians, as opposed to out of state special interest groups.

 

Though it fits under our campaign theme of “Doing things differently,” my platform planks do not fits neatly into small sound bytes, so forgive me if this is a little longer than usual:

 

a) Kicker Reinvestment. The kicker may be in the Constitution, but a unified Legislature can still choose to redirect it. As State Treasurer, I would assemble an Advisory Committee to work in a collaborative manner with a wide variety of stakeholders from both sides of the aisle to identify the highest and best use of those funds aside from tax rebates that are skewed towards wealthier Oregonians.

 

b) Assemble a coalition of like-minded institutional investors that can use our combined proxy voting strength to steer corporate-level and portfolio-level business plans moving forward, so as to value the long-term benefits of respecting workers, addressing climate change, and other issues that we are weaker alone on.  Oregon’s strength and innovation in the investment community is well respected, and we should be a leader on these issues.

 

c) Assemble a group of community stakeholders to advise on prioritization metrics for capital investments.  Instead of simply chairing the State Debt Policy Advisory Committee and handing the Legislature a credit limit and a blank check, I want to turn to our diverse communities around Oregon and ensure that those dollars are being spent in ways that are both individually and collectively focused on equity, efficiency, and meaningful results. This means stepping far outside the Legislature’s comfort zone when it comes to the Treasurer making big-picture recommendations, but I think they are due for that wake-up call.

 

2. How has your own racial/ethnic identity impacted your understanding of racial equity and how you have incorporated it into your own work and leadership? How have those identities informed your motivation to seek elected office? 

 

I am a straight, cis, white male fortunate to have been raised in a two-parent home where support and nurturing of my development was a given.  In short, I grew up with nearly every social advantage.  I acknowledge that regardless of my values, my ability to work towards positive change in public service is (and must be) tempered by my intrinsic privilege.  While I understand certain issues on an academic level, I do not have — nor do I purport to have — the lived experience necessary to fully understand the needs of populations that have been historically and institutionally marginalized.  So I will need help, and I know that I need help.  That is why I have strived to reach out to leaders from these communities: not simply for endorsements but for illumination and to add their voices to the functioning of our State Treasury.  Because without sharing influence and the capacity to bring about change with leaders from Oregon’s marginalized communities, any changes I think I am making to these embedded systems will nevertheless be made through the lens of a straight, white man with no direct experience as to how those communities are actually affected.  This is why, when you look at my platform, you see not just lip service given to these values, but a pattern of commitment to include and raise up these voices.  The one thing the State Treasurer’s office has historically lacked is a big table; the office lends itself to a significant amount of unilateral authorities, but I hope that my establishment of large tables and standing committees populated by a wide swath of Oregonians reverses that trend and introduces a new tradition in the State Treasury of not just repeating others’ voices, but of elevating those individuals up.

 

3. The model minority myth is frequently applied to the aggregated category of API despite there being considerable social and economic differences within the community. (See the Community of Contrasts section). How does your understanding of the model minority myth influence government decision-making and personnel choices, including allocations of resources and policy Prioritization?

 

I am always reminded of and value the quote from Walt Whitman: ”I contain multitudes.” That speaks not only to individuals, but to different communities in Oregon and the country, and also within any given community. Culture matters, but there is no such thing as a monolithic community.  Any good investor knows the value of diversification of financial resources, and any good human being knows the value of diversification of perspectives, voices, and lived experiences.  It is personally enriching for me to learn from others’ and bring those perspectives with me… but it’s much more effective for those individuals and communities if I refrain from being a filter for their voices and instead simply ensure that they are included where they can make a difference: as staff, as members of Boards or Commissions, and as elected officials in their own right.  Or to put it another way: Just as the Treasury needs to do its diligence on an investment and look beyond its asset class designation and explore the intricacies of values, assets, risks, returns, and other aspects… so too must we look beyond the simple designations of human beings and be open to exploring the unique facets of each of us.

 

4. Hate speech incidents and hate crimes have increased across the US, including Oregon. One of APANO’s priorities is strengthening policies and resources to safeguard our communities. What are ways you will address hate incidents that happen in your district?

 

This is a tough one, particularly because I don’t have a direct personal experience I can draw on; when someone is mad at me or hates me, it’s never an institutionalized reaction against who I am simply as a person.  To have to face that kind of assault is a kind of trauma I can only imagine.  I agree with the goal and efforts to strengthen policies and resources to safeguard every community in the state. In particular, paying close to communities in the state that have been historically marginalized or ignored.  But in terms of how I will use my office — and frankly my personal privilege — to help address these incidents, I would put myself at the disposal of groups like APANO to tell me what would be helpful.

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5. At APANO, we support Black Liberation and the movement to invest in BIPOC communities. Will you support efforts to end the disproportionate policing, arrests, charging, prosecution, and jailing of Black people in Oregon by divesting resources from policing and prisons and reinvesting those funds in the Black community?

 

I do not believe fully divesting from police is the answer, but I will wholeheartedly support reforms that focus our law enforcement resources on ensuring that Oregonians — particularly historically marginalized and vulnerable communities — feel safe from the police as well as from criminal elements.  In many places, that means taking some of the responsibilities of the police — such as engaging in mental health crises — and reassigning those duties to medical professionals and other de-escalation based agents.  I am reminded of a day in 2005 when the Oregon State Police barricaded the State Senate chamber and were about to attempt to subdue an armed man undergoing a mental health crisis… when Senator Dr. Alan Bates from Ashland forcefully asserted control as a doctor treating a patient, and ended up peacefully getting the man the care he needed.  I do think there is a role for the State Police.  But in that particular circumstance, they were objectively not the right entity to respond (thank goodness Senator Bates happened to be around).  So I do see a role for law enforcement that is meaningfully accountable and focused on de-escalation, but I also see that in many circumstances the correct responder would be someone other than law enforcement.

 

When it comes to prisons, I think the State Treasurer should have something to say about our state’s over-investment.  Throughout the 90s, voters went wild with the initiative system, passing “tough on crime” measures that mandatorily filled up our prisons and necessitated the construction of even more prison infrastructure.  This was extremely detrimental to our State’s bond rating, given that it was nakedly apparent that voters could reach into the state coffers and spend money both programmatically as well as in terms of debt-financed capital improvements.  And I use the term “improvement” loosely, given that unlike many other state facilities, prisons are rarely able to be used for an alternative purpose, meaning that creditors don’t see much value in repossessing one and therefore charge top rates for construction bonds.  The damage done to our bond rating, and the additional dollars we are paying out as a result of the “prison boom” are still having ripple effects on our balance sheets, to say nothing of the continued social effects of locking up such a significant portion of otherwise productive Oregonians.  When the line between being in prison versus being celebrated on the cover of a magazine as a cannabis entrepreneur depends entirely on what year a person sold pot… there’s a terrible disconnect in our collective ethics.

 

a. (School board candidates) What is your stance on student resource officers (SROs)?

 

n/a

 

6. APANO supports The Opportunity to Serve Act, which would increase pay for Oregon state legislators. This reduces financial barriers for current and future legislators. What do you believe is a fair and equitable compensation for the position you are running for? Moreover, would you support efforts to broaden political representation through compensation, and how?

 

Oregon has always prized its citizen-led legislature, even as that has led to a homogenization of representation in Salem.  (See my answer to number 3 about why human diversification is important!)  So for much of Oregon’s history and continuing to today, the pay of legislators and statewide elected officials has been on the low side.  The result has been a legislature that is more and more composed of a mix of self-employed professional service providers (such as consultants or attorneys), the idle wealthy, or retirees. I do not have a specific number in mind for what the level of pay should be, but I think it should reflect a family’s ability to live in district while traveling to Salem during session, without having to resort to other second jobs or “side hustles” that may present conflicts of interest.  With regard to the State Treasurer’s salary specifically, I am reluctant to put a specific number since it will appear to be self-serving. I do support the commission that has been put together to provide recommendations, and I hope that it will (after my tenure) adjust the salary so that the position is attractive to young dynamic financial and community leaders that will bring ideas to the office that I can’t fathom today.

 

7. A lack of affordable childcare limits the well-being of families across the state. In Asian and Pacific Islander communities, families are committed to caring for multiple generations and use an expansive definition of “family”. This can limit economic opportunity for working families, as well as youth who have responsibilities to care for other children. How will you champion childcare in your role if elected?

 

The Treasurer has a significant role to play with respect to the physical infrastructure of the state, and can (and should) advocate for such priorities to the Legislature (see my platform plank ‘c’). One example is the support the legislature has given with respect to the federal CHIPS act, which I am very thrilled about (HB 4098… just passed out of Ways & Means Sub today). Because until child support is available and accessible for working families, the increased availability of good paying jobs is just theoretical. In addition, the expansion of the child tax credit at the federal and state level has provided a significant tool in addressing childhood poverty, and I will advocate for any financial tools that are targeted and designed to assist families in need.

 

8. What does being “community accountable” mean to you? How will you engage as an elected official to work with community-based organizations and grassroots organizers? How do you hold yourself accountable and your peers accountable to your promises?

 

As I noted in previous questions, to me it means that instead of simply filtering constituents’ voices through my own mouth, I have a responsibility to elevate and magnify and lift up those voices.  Part of my platform is to assemble a group of community stakeholders to advise on several issues, such as prioritization metrics for capital investments.  Instead of simply chairing the State Debt Policy Advisory Committee and handing the Legislature a credit limit and a blank check, I want to turn to our diverse communities around Oregon and ensure that those dollars are being spent in ways that are both individually and collectively focused on equity, efficiency, and meaningful results.  For me, “community accountable” means having the community in the office, both literally and figuratively, endowed with a meaningful charge to steer the conversation.  As I noted earlier, I hope that my establishment of large tables and standing committees populated by a wide swath of Oregonians reverses the trend of a cloistered Treasury and introduces a new tradition of community-based engagement.

 

a. Will you inform APANO and other community-based organizations of your decision-making power and seek our perspectives in advance of issues that directly affect our communities? How will you commit to doing so? 

 

Yes.  See my answer above with regard to bringing community-based voices into the Treasurer’s office both literally and figuratively.  Too often in politics, community outreach is talking to people and then reporting back, or informing them of a pre-wired decision.  I intend to bring community voices into those decision making processes from square one.

 

9. APANO supports the disaggregation of the term “AANHPI”, and affirms that the issues and needs of Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian communities need to be addressed more intentionally.  This includes but is not limited to disaggregating crucial data that could help identify employment, health and education-related issues. What is your understanding of the issues facing “Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian” communities, and who specifically does that include in your district? How will your office seek to engage with this specific racial/ethnic group in Oregon and address their concerns?

 

With regard to engagement, see my answers above.  With regard to my understanding of issues specifically facing PI/NH communities, I am woefully undereducated.  But I know enough to reach out to groups like APANO before concerns arise in order to stay on top of the needs of those communities in the context of the Treasurer’s office.  I am counting on being able to reach out and have an ongoing relationship during my tenure as State Treasurer — not just as issues arise.  As I said above: Any good investor knows the value of diversification of financial resources, and any good human being knows the value of diversification of perspectives, voices, and lived experiences.

 

10. Will you support the policy and funding necessary in 2025 to ensure that Oregonians who are excluded based on their immigration status from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have access to food assistance?

 

Yes.  For someone to look at a hungry child and tell them they must remain hungry because they were on the wrong side of an imaginary line on the ground is an unfathomable moral bankruptcy.

 

11. In November, APANO released a Statement of Solidarity & Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza. We view our struggles for liberation against white supremacy and colonialism as connected to the cause of Palestinian liberation. Moreover, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a rise in Islamophobia and anti-Semitic attacks, both of which directly affect Arab and Jewish communities in Oregon and across the nation. Although your role may not be directly involved in this issue, what is your responsibility as an elected official to address this conflict?

 

This is a tragedy on a number of levels that I have trouble wrapping my head around.  I must admit that I am far from an expert on international relations, particularly those in the Middle East.  I am sure that there are nuances and perspectives that I am unfamiliar with, and I am sure that a number of my assumptions are simply incorrect.  Stripping away all of the geopolitics and identity politics and messaging and funding and questions about perspective, I am left with this thought: I don’t know what responsibility I have as an elected official in this matter.  But as a human being, I must have a responsibility not to hand someone a weapon if I know they will use it to slaughter a child.