Ryan Bizzarro (D) hails from Erie and has served as the State Representative for District 3 since 2013. He currently chairs the Majority Policy Committee. If elected to State Treasurer, his priorities are to expand and raise awareness about current programs- like the 529 college funds and returning unclaimed property. He also wants to establish impact investment funds, and infrastructure and real estate funds.

 

CLICK HERE to watch a full video interview with Ryan Bizzarro.

Click here to go to the main State Treasurer article to watch interviews from both candidates.

 

 

 

What is a short job description of the office of State Treasurer?

Well, look, I think to sum it up, for folks who don't know what the office is or hasn't heard of it or what it entails, I mean, it's Pennsylvania's chief financial officer. You're in charge of nearly $165 billion worth of assets and investments that you have to do on behalf of the Commonwealth to keep the lights on, to pay the bills, and also to pay the retirement. You also sit on the board of officers on serves, so you have a seat at the table and how the money is spent here in Pennsylvania.

 

Why do you qualify to step into the role?

I'm going to go a little further than that. Not only am I qualified for this position, I am the most qualified person for this position, whether you're looking at the sitting treasurer or the primary candidate. Again, to me, I have nearly a over a decade experience in the legislature working with state government, state budgets. I know where the revenue comes from. I know how to balance the budget, and I know what the budget entails. I also know what the job of Treasurer entails, and I'm the only one I can comfortably say that that is in this race.

 

What are your priorities if you take the office?

I think that the Treasurer's office is the most underutilized office that we have here in Pennsylvania. And when I'm Pennsylvania's next state treasurer, I'm going to change that. Most folks don't even know who their street treasurer is, let alone what the street. State Treasurer does. That means they don't know all the programs that they're entitled to. Like the 529 plans, the Abel Accounts, the Keystone Scholars, unclaimed property folks don't even know about those programs.

So what I want to do, I want to set up a community presence with the Treasurer's office. I want to make the Treasury part of communities across the Commonwealth. But I also want to create an impact investment fund. I want to create an infrastructure and real estate fund and I want to expand 529 plans and revamp how we're giving back unclaimed property.

 

What is something about the current administration you would change and/or keep the same?

I think all the other programs that the current administration is in charge of, the 529 plans, the able accounts, the Keystone Scholars, ongoing property, that's all that's all going to remain the same. The difference is we're actually going to let people know that these programs exist. Get them enrolled in it and figure out how to be good faith partners with communities across the Commonwealth because these programs are available for people and they need to take advantage of them. They're very, very important programs.

 

What do you have that your other primary candidate does not have?

I think that there is a list of of differences between my primary opponent and I are one in which is that, you know, she she's run for every different type of office you can think of just in hopes of getting elected. I'm not that candidate. I run for state representative. And now I'm running for to be Pennsylvania's next state treasurer.

And I know I have a good shot. You know, voters are very excited to have a Democrat on the ballot. That's not from one of the larger counties or one of the urban population centers. It's not every day you have a candidate like me from a region like mine and a county like mine that reflects the majority of what counties look like here in Pennsylvania.

So I'm a guy that can represent all Pennsylvanians most qualified for the position. I'm endorsed by the Pennsylvania State Democratic Party. I've got a list of numerous endorsements across the commonwealth, personal organizations and labor endorsements. I am the candidate who has the best shot at winning in the general election in November. So I'm respectfully asking everybody for their vote on Tuesday.

 

What is a topic/discussion point around the office of State Treasurer and what is your take on it?

I go back to the programs that are that are out there. I mean, the Treasurer's office right now is, is trying to do these programs, I guess across the Commonwealth I don't think she's doing a very good job of promoting them. But look, it's a topic that the current Treasurer and I can agree on is getting the the Keystone Savings Accounts running and passing through the legislature.

That's something that the legislature is working on. The body that I currently serving and that's something that's a that's a priority of of this current treasurer and that's something that we can both agree to. So there's a big a topic of what kind of policy initiatives that we are trying to accomplish together.

That was actually something that- I talked to McClelland- and that was the one thing she said she was opposed to.

It's very interesting that my primary opponent is against this is against the Keystone Saves account. It is the baby of former treasurer Joe Torsella. Every Democratic treasurer in the United States has some sort of retirement program in place. I don't think that I don't think that my primary opponent really understands how the Keystone Saving Program works. I don't think she understands a lot of things with the office.

Again, I believe she's just running for this because she's hoping to to get a job. Certainly, that's not why I'm in the race. You know, another glaring difference between my opponent is I don't think people should have to work until they die. The Keystone Savings Account gives them an opportunity to save, to have a retirement and to retire with dignity. And I'm going to continue to fight for it.