In abstract
Democrat Malia Cohen desires to broaden the function of state controller and advance fairness and variety within the job. In an 80-minute interview with CalMatters, she says the state’s COVID response proves the necessity to do higher on each these objectives.
There are two elements to the controller’s job, Malia Cohen says.
There are the everyday functions — writing checks, conducting audits, making coverage suggestions and serving on almost 80 boards, together with ones that oversee state worker retirement funds.
However Cohen says the place can also be a platform to make California extra equitable and to advertise extra numerous management — objectives that she is passionate, even emotional, about and a task that she says she is well prepared for from her time on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and state Board of Equalization.
“I believe that we do must elect sturdy folks with sturdy values that aren’t afraid to face up and usually are not afraid to talk out,” the Democratic candidate informed CalMatters reporters and editors.
“I believe that we have to have extra variety, I believe we have to have extra conversations about fairness, what that appears like within the distribution of tax {dollars}….I don’t need to see sturdy packages, little one care packages, instructional packages after-school packages, meals packages not get funded as a result of they don’t have a lobbyist, they don’t have an advocate.”
Cohen says the state’s response to COVID revealed the dire, sometimes deadly, penalties of ignoring communities of color.
“I’m going to guarantee that we study from the errors from the pandemic,” she mentioned. “Why did it occur? As a result of the constituency that I represented the place I come from — folks suffered, folks died, folks acquired sick, folks misplaced their jobs. And I noticed folks coming to a aspect of the city that they might not usually come into simply to get vaccination, chopping the road.”
If Cohen convinces sufficient voters that she’s the appropriate candidate, she can be the second controller in a row to maneuver up from the Board of Equalization, following Betty Yee, who has served two phrases and is not eligible to run for re-election. However first, she has to complete among the many prime two vote-getters in a competitive June 7 primary simply to make it to the November basic election.
Listed below are three different key takeaways from her CalMatters interview:
Cohen’s imaginative and prescient
A controller’s function is to make sure the state is spending its cash properly, together with chopping waste. However what does that imply to the typical particular person?
“I clarify it like, nicely, I guarantee that large firms like Amazon don’t snake by way of loopholes and that they’re paying their fair proportion in relation to property taxes,” Cohen mentioned. “I say ensuring that firms like PG&E…[are] paying their fair proportion in taxes. Small taxpayers, individuals who personal their properties, they’re paying their taxes, and we need to be very reasonable and really constant and in addition clear.”
As chairperson of the Board of Equalization, Cohen has overseen the distribution of $80 billion in tax income to native governments and faculties. She additionally reduce spending on workplace area and launched an initiative in 2019 to modernize property tax assortment.
She pledges to proceed the watchdog function as controller, saying that she desires to scrutinize the Employment Development Department and the Division of Motor Automobiles, plus the state’s homelessness programs. Cohen additionally intends to audit corporations receiving analysis and improvement tax credit to make sure the roles promised are being created. She additionally desires to advance pay fairness, starting with a evaluate of the controller’s workplace, in keeping with her equity roadmap.
“I’m operating to say, ‘I’m right here, I’m on this area, I’m on the desk and I’m watching and I’m going to maintain folks accountable,’” she mentioned.
Cohen says she will even give the general public essential evaluation on points resembling abortion, housing and tax coverage — and do extra so taxpayers know the place their cash goes.
“I could possibly be lazy, I might simply sit again and just do the naked minimal of the necessities,” she mentioned. “And fairly actually, as I’ve been speaking about this race and my imaginative and prescient for the controller seat, lots of people haven’t been receptive of an enormous image of what a controller’s workplace might truly be, and I’ve been informed that I’m operating for the improper place. And I vehemently disagree.”
Coverage stances?
Regardless of seeing an expanded coverage function for the controller, Cohen didn’t take a stand on some urgent points now earlier than the Legislature, resembling another stimulus payment, or a pause on the gasoline tax.
As a substitute, she targeted on the executive capabilities, pledging to “get these checks to Californians as shortly and as effectively as doable, guaranteeing that there isn’t any fraud, any loss or anybody receiving cash once they don’t qualify.”
Cohen additionally didn’t take a stand on whether or not the state’s public pension funds should divest from Russian companies in response to the invasion of Ukraine. She mentioned she wanted extra data first.
As for projections that the state gained’t have the ability to pay all the pensions it has committed to public employees, Cohen acknowledges the competing pursuits that must be weighed. “State workers which have labored actually onerous, academics which have labored actually onerous, I do imagine that they need to have the ability to retire and to rely on their retirement,” she mentioned.
On the similar time, Cohen notes, the state can’t proceed to depend on at all times having a sturdy price range.
“I’m involved in regards to the fiscal well being for the state of California, simply the financial route that we’re going to be getting in,” she mentioned. “I don’t see it as a sustainable long-term technique.”
Working with fellow Democrats
Since 1975, voters have elected solely Democrats to the workplace. Cohen has the official social gathering endorsement. Considered one of her main challengers, Republican Lanhee Chen, is promising to be an unbiased watchdog on the Democratic Legislature and administration.
Whereas Cohen mentioned her social gathering affiliation gained’t damage her effectiveness within the job, she plans a extra collaborative method.
“My type is just not, ‘I acquired you, aha.’ I’m not making an attempt to catch you within the sizzling seat,” she mentioned. “I’m not making an attempt to catch you in a lie and even embarrass you. That has by no means been my management type.”
“My type actually is that if I discover an audit and I discover one thing that’s obvious or might doubtlessly be embarrassing, speaking to the particular person. Simply having an sincere dialog and saying, ‘That is what I discovered, what can we do about this?’”
If elected, Cohen would additionally change into California’s first Black controller, however doesn’t see that affecting how she does the job, both. However she does urge voters to think about her background:
“I believe that being the sum complete of a unique set of life experiences does make me a novel candidate on this race.”
In a 70-minute interview with CalMatters reporters, Lanhee Chen, the one Republican operating for state controller, talks about his priorities and the way he would work with Democrats in energy.
