California gubernatorial hopeful Phil Angelides will address students today at 4:45 p.m. in the MultiCultural Center Theater (MCC) about his views on higher education and improving California.

Angelides, current state treasurer, comes to the campus today to define his stance on issues of education, the environment and relieving California’s debt. A question and answer session, led by students, will follow his speech. The event is hosted by the Campus Democrats.

Angelides’ press secretary Brian Brokaw said the treasurer will explain his vision of improving the state.

“He’ll be talking about, overall, his plan of why he thinks he should be governor, but specifically with respect to higher education,” Brokaw said. “He’s got a plan called ‘College Opportunity for All,’ which is a five-point plan to increase the number of students who will be able to go to college.”

Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Dianne Feinstein, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the California Assembly Fabian Nœ–ez and the major labor federation AFL-CIO have all endorsed Angelides, Brokaw said.

Angelides believes Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger does not understand the importance of higher education, Brokaw said. If elected governor, Angelides will work to allow students equal educational opportunities, he said.

“Phil Angelides said Schwarzenegger is the worst governor for higher education he’s seen in his lifetime,” Brokaw said. “In 2004, he tried to turn away 22,000 kids who had done all the work and had qualified and made all the grades, and tried to turn them away from UC, Cal States, and community colleges because he said that the state couldn’t afford it. That was the day Angelides decided to run.”

Angelides’ “College Opportunity for All” employs five-points to increase the number of students eligible for college, Brokaw said. Some components include rolling back Schwarzenegger’s tax on education and admitting 20,000 more students to state colleges and universities.

In the plan, Brokaw said, Angelides would also like to double the number of public school counselors available for college preparation, as well as expand Cal Grants and raise the income limits. In addition, he promises to create the California Hope Endowment: a permanent funding source that would provide $300 million per year to college-bound students.

“The last thing we need to be doing is turning qualified students away from college,” Brokaw said. “This is the time we need more, not fewer, students in college.”

Currently, the Democratic opponent in the gubernatorial race primary is Steve Westly, who along with Angelides is a pro-labor, pro-choice, progressive democrat, said Campus Democrats President Ben Sheldon- Tarzynski.

On Tuesday, June 6, California residents will vote in the primary election to determine which Democrat will run against Schwarzenegger. The gubernatorial election is slated for Nov. 7.

Sheldon-Tarzynski, a third-year history and classics major, said Angelides has been state treasurer for seven years. Preceding that, he was the chairman of the California Democratic Party for the 1991 and 1992 elections.

“I think that his work and expertise and skill were a major factor in California becoming a ‘blue state,’” Sheldon-Tarzynski said. “And that’s probably why he’s gotten so many endorsers, not only because he had worked for the party for so long, but also he has been successful and produced results.”

Considering the many endorsements Angelides has received, Sheldon-Tarzynski said, the chances of his winning seem very likely. However, he and his opponent are currently very close in the polls.

“The main thing is who has the better ability to run the government,” Sheldon-Tarzynski said. “Westly is the controller and was behind the starting of eBay, but Angelides has more political experience.”

Between Schwarzenegger and Angelides, Brokaw said Californians need a change to someone savvier to the political process.

“The truth is, it’s an uphill fight because Schwarzenegger is a international celebrity and everybody knows who he is,” Brokaw said. “I think one thing we have going for us is that this is a Democratic state and I think people are tired of the photo-op governor that Schwarzenegger is, and they want somebody who will actually do the job of being governor.”