SAN FRANCISCO — In case you missed it, The Associated Press published a wide-ranging interview with Tom Steyer, highlighting his longtime commitment to progressive causes and his plan to end corporate influence in Sacramento to lower costs for California families. 

Key excerpts are below and the full piece can be read here. 

...Tom Steyer is selling himself as a class traitor in his bid for California governor.

The Democrat … wants wealthy people and corporations to pay higher taxes. He’s endorsed by a progressive advocacy group that believes billionaires shouldn’t exist. He founded one of the world’s largest hedge funds yet he’s the candidate taking the heaviest hits from business groups

“I’m the billionaire who wants to tax other billionaires,” he’s fond of saying…

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“I’m not one of the people who begrudges people’s success,” Steyer told The Associated Press, referring to businesspeople who become wealthy in California. “If you’re going to come here and build a company and make a ton of money, great.”

“But you’re part of a system — you’re depending on a system built by, basically, poor people,” he continued. “If you aren’t willing to pay your fair share, I feel like you’re spitting on those people.”

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After decades of using his pocketbook to influence politics and policy, Steyer is now a leading contender in the race to govern the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest economies ahead of the June 2 primary. 

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Steyer says he wants to tackle three main crises: climate change, California’s high cost of living and threats from the Trump administration.

Hundreds of people gathered at a ping-pong club and bar in San Francisco recently to drink cocktails and nibble on hors d’oeuvres…as Steyer touted his commitment to fighting climate change. His plan is light on specifics but includes defending the state’s cap-and-trade program.

Some major environmental groups have endorsed him. Progressive organizations have also backed him, including Our Revolution, which was founded by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and advocates for ridding politics of corporate and billionaire influence. State Assemblyman Alex Lee, chair of the progressive caucus, said he’s backing Steyer in part due to his support for a government-run healthcare system, an idea that’s failed repeatedly in Sacramento. Lee was hesitant to back a billionaire but said Steyer is different.

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Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric, one of the nation’s largest utilities, spent $10 million to oppose him. Steyer has vowed to “break up utility monopolies” to bring down Californians’ notoriously high electricity rates. 

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“Tom Steyer is running on taxing the wealthy, supporting single-payer healthcare, and taking on corporate power — positions that are central to our movement,” Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese said in a statement. “That alignment with a pro-worker, anti-corporate agenda — and the urgency of this race — is why we are backing him.

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