Transcript

From $50 to the State Senate | Faith & the American Dream ft. Senator Steven Choi | Coffeez

From Coffeez for Closers with Joe Shalaby · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 47 min · 6,264 words · 79 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "From $50 to the State Senate | Faith & the American Dream ft. Senator Steven Choi | Coffeez", an episode of Coffeez for Closers with Joe Shalaby published December 20, 2025 (47 min, about 6,264 words). It mentions 18 people, works and ideas, including John Choi, God, Senate, Faith, Housing.

What this episode is about

Senator Steven Choi discusses his journey from a modest financial background to serving in the state senate, emphasizing the importance of faith in his life and leadership. He shares insights into his daily routine, which includes reading the Bible, and reflects on the impact of his recent visit to Israel on his understanding of scripture.

Key takeaways

  • From defeat to triumph: sometimes losing can lead to the best opportunities, like a comfy Senate seat.
  • Miracle Senator title? You only need $100k to beat an $11 million campaign, proving money isn't everything in politics.
  • Age isn't just a number; it's a campaign strategy. Older leaders might hold wisdom the youth often overlook.
  • Reading the Bible amidst politics: who knew Genesis and Senate sessions could inspire such a fascinating morning routine?
  • Democratic battle makes unlikely allies. What's the GOP strategy when faced with tough Democratic incumbents? Just add water.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Senate, Assembly, God, John Choi
  2. – 10:00: Senate, Assembly, God, John Choi
  3. – 15:00: Education, School Board, UCI, American Library Association
  4. – 20:00: School Board, Assembly, Senate
  5. – 25:00: Senate, Assembly, School Board
  6. – 30:00: Korean-American
  7. – 35:00: Education, John Choi, Senate, American Dream
  8. – 40:00: Housing, Senate
  9. – 45:00: God, Senate, American Dream, Education
  10. – 46:53: Christmas

Notable quotes from "From $50 to the State Senate | Faith & the American Dream ft. Senator Steven Choi | Coffeez"

  • He has prepared another door. He gave me chance to run for state senate and experience as a senator. As a senator has a lot more prestige and more comfortable four years rather than every two years running. And so I.
    about Senate · at
  • I'm glad you asked that question. as a fellow Christian as I understand you are also Christian God has nothing that is impossible as a person of faith only tool I had was that I was praying to your will.
    about God · at
  • USU UCI and USC including my landlord or people around me kept on asking me to run for school board in Irvine and that was about for two years no I don't know anything about what the school board is about what they do no.
    about School Board · at
  • As a mayor 2012 to 2016 until I got elected to the state assembly in the 68th district. So it was not intended but it turned out to be every step of local government the school board, city council,.
    about Assembly · at
  • Are all Korean speaking. So that's the reason as I said a while ago that the my category is a hyphen the Korean hyphen American. So I go to two churches even the Korean church American church.
    about Korean-American · at
  • Need person like you with the educational background for our school and so still I'm in education committee in the Senate. Your business is in the bedrock of American dream. we make the American dream come alive.
    about John Choi · at
  • Podcast we would need to hit a 50-year mortgage, a portable mortgage, a reduction in housing, a lower interest rate to make housing affordable. I don't know what you know or what tricks, that Sacramento or government has up their.
    about Housing · at
  • That's a very simplified comment I'm making. But if I were the governor, I would start the long range plan. Start from the young ages and the financial education, how to manage…
    about Education · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • John Choi — Person · Main guest · 3 mentions · first at
    He recounts his immigration story, faith, academic career, and political rise from school board to California State Senate, including a 'miracle' election win.

Books & papers

  • House of Horrors — Book · Referenced text · 1 mention · first at
    Steven Choi describes reading the Korean Bible repeatedly as part of his morning routine and faith practice.
    5:30 and in the bed on the bed itself I try to open up my day with the Bible verses. I've been, this is my fourth time reading Korean Bible and then English Bible. Korean Bible, English Bible. Now into English Bible.
  • English Bible — Book · Referenced text · 1 mention · first at
    He alternates between Korean and English Bible readings, emphasizing scripture as the start of his day.
    I try to open up my day with the Bible verses. I've been, this is my fourth time reading Korean Bible and then English Bible. Korean Bible, English Bible. Now into English Bible.
  • Genesis — Book · Referenced text · 1 mention · first at
    He mentions reading Genesis during his current Bible-reading cycle, connecting scripture to his recent travel to Israel.
    Right now I'm reading for the fourth time and a minimum of two chapters of a book. Right now we're back to Genesis is quite interesting to read. especially I visited Israel right after session this year in September I was 14 to 29th.

Companies & orgs

  • UCI — Company · Referenced organization · 1 mention · first at
    He taught at University of California, Irvine and attempted to expand Korean language offerings; his local presence in Orange County connects to later politics.
    That was after [clears throat] teaching USC for five years. I moved to Orange County and I taught at UCI for about three years.
  • University of Pittsburgh — Company · Referenced organization · 1 mention · first at
    Steven Choi earned his library and information science degree there, which led to academic opportunities and later credibility in public service.
    My degree was a library and information science from the University of Pittsburgh.
  • American Library Association — Company · Referenced organization · 1 mention · first at
    An ALA convention is where Steven Choi met a USC dean who later recruited him to teach, shaping his move to Southern California.
    And so USC dean I met her Dr. Matab was in the American Library Association convention in Chicago and my dean was introducing me as a doctoral student and I don't know why the dean was impressed by me and after several months she.
  • Panam — Company · Referenced organization · 1 mention · first at
    Pan Am is mentioned as the airline used to fly from Japan to Hawaii during Steven Choi's immigration journey.
    Flight to Hawaii from Korea. So, we had to go to Ku to Japan and spend a night and fly to Hawaii by Panam and my friends went to a shop and everybody's buying camera and he…

Concepts & topics

  • God — Concept · Core topic · 3 mentions · first at
    Faith in God is presented as the driver of Steven Choi's daily routine, life direction, and his unexpected Senate victory framed as a miracle.
  • Senate — Concept · Core topic · 11 mentions · first at
    Steven Choi describes his role as a California State Senator, term length, minority-party constraints, and committee work (education).
  • Faith — Concept · Core topic · 1 mention · first at
    Faith is repeatedly cited as the foundation for courage, guidance, and interpreting political success as divine purpose.
    Are also Christian God has nothing that is impossible as a person of faith only tool I had was that I was praying to your will not to be afraid and be brave.
  • Housing — Concept · Core topic · 5 mentions · first at
    They discuss housing affordability in Southern California, focusing on regulation, fees, incentives for builders, and mortgage structures.
  • Education — Concept · Core topic · 4 mentions · first at
    Education is central to Steven Choi's identity (PhD, professor) and political work (education committee), and is proposed as a long-range solution for social issues.
  • American Dream — Concept · Core theme · 2 mentions · first at
    Steven Choi frames his immigrant journey, education, and public service as achieving the American Dream; housing/homeownership is discussed as its bedrock.
    And so still I'm in education committee in the Senate. Your business is in the bedrock of American dream. we make the American dream come alive.
  • Assembly — Concept · Background topic · 9 mentions · first at
    He contrasts Assembly service (two-year election cycle) with the Senate and explains his defeat in an Assembly race that led to his Senate run.
  • School Board — Concept · Career milestone · 7 mentions · first at
    His entry into politics began with election to the Irvine school board in 1998, described as an unlikely win amid many candidates.
  • Korean-American — Concept · Core identity topic · 1 mention · first at
    Steven Choi discusses being a first-generation Korean-American leader, navigating Korean and American churches, and encouraging broader assimilation and civic engagement.

Places & events

  • Christmas — Event · Seasonal framing · 3 mentions · first at
    The episode opens and closes with Christmas greetings and a Christian explanation of Christmas as celebrating Jesus Christ's birth.
    Thank you. So with the Christmas coming, merry Christmas.

Full transcript with timestamps

He has prepared another door. He gave me chance to run for state senate and uh experience as a senator. As you know, a senator has a lot more prestige and more comfortable four years rather than every two years running. And so I wouldn't have had tasted the as a senator experience if I was not defeated the fourth term. I didn't know. Welcome to another episode of Coffees. Please welcome Senator Steven Choice.

Thank you, Joseph, for your invitation and the nice introduction. Looks like you have done a little bit of study on me.

We did a little bit of study and got got to meet you a couple times. Yeah. Uh thank you for the nice words.

God bless you and God bless your service. You're you're a man of faith and a man uh that continues to uh help so many countless others. So God bless your service.

Thank you. So with the Christmas coming, merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Blessings to everybody, all the listeners.

Thank you so much. So let's dive into it. Uh I I always like to see like how people start their day. What's your morning routine?

I try to vacate my morning time as much as possible. I tell my scheduler, don't book me up anything in the morning because I have some my personal stuff I need to take care of. But particularly as soon as I get up um uh my date uh I I try to get up early uh somewhere 5:00 5:30 and uh in the bed on the bed itself I I try to uh open up my day with the uh um Bible verses. Um, I've been, this is my fourth time reading Korean Bible and then English Bible. Korean Bible, English Bible. Now into English Bible. Right now I'm reading for the fourth time and a minimum of uh two uh chapters of a book. Right now we're back to Genesis is quite interesting to read. uh especially I uh visited uh Israel right after session this year in September I was 14 to 29th uh was eyeopening for me and some geographic area names that I've been reading in the Bible and in reality having seen the location names and the

whole Samaria and like that is it uh hits me uh in uh real time and reading the Bible. So that's my first uh encounter in the morning. And then I try to [clears throat] make up a little bit of exercise. I don't have much time. I um tried to go to a gym and spend a couple hours a day and I had a slack time between two elections from uh assembly time and when I was uh when I was uh uh announcing my candidacy for the Senate, I had a little bit of a couple months of uh time during the time I spend quite a bit of time on the uh gym in the gym. But now I don't have that time. So I live in a very nice neighborhood with the hills. So I uh walk and jog back for my health. and do some stretches and tawondo style stretches as well because I have done some tawundo when I was young and try to maintain my body and then uh take care of some personal stuff and then get to my office and usually somewhere depending upon schedule I may

have to get up earlier but I try to get to my office if no particular schedule uh 11:00 12:00 usually I uh come there and uh follow my schedule whatever that I'm scheduled to follow today and then you know my staff members will prepare prepare me where to go what to do so that is my routine

I mean you're keeping so busy at your age I don't know how old you are it seems like you're timeless but

I'm I'm very old speaking of age [clears throat] I was uh abandoned by my own party because of my age. You are too old. We're going to recruit some young blood. And that's what they did. And even though with my uh political background experience on all local levels up to assembly and uh they um chose somebody else, a younger person and invested that money u on him and uh it turned out in the primary election there were 11 people, seven Democrats and four republic. Africans and he was the near the bottom and eventually I bubbled up to number two against the sitting incumbent Democrat uh senators and I was a uh former assembly member and as you know California election rule is the top two um people will compete in the general general election and they turned out to be a democratic candidate and the Republican candidate and the Republican candidate happened to be me.

So they had no choice uh to not to support me because there was a Democratic candidate versus a Republican. So they ended up they supported me a little bit uh for the general election. Uh so I made it and the beating the sitting incumbent uh by the Republican beating sitting incumbent Democrat uh in the Senate took uh for the first time in 44 years.

Wow. So they call me miracle senator in in in finance uh [gasps] uh financial situation at all uh in election. as in in campaign that's what they say money is everything right and it is important you got you got to have a money to campaign but um I [clears throat] was not a not not a near competitor uh to sitting incumbent because personally I raised less than $100,000 and then also $60,000 was saved from um my assembly raise because I So the last uh planned mail campaign which cost about the $40 $50,000 I said don't spend it. there's no chance even if I send another flyer, it's not going to make it. And then I saved it and it became the basis for the Senate Senate race.

and uh uh one of the interviewers uh of the endorsement for Republican candidate which want to endorse by Orange County Republican party and uh one of the member guys he was focusing targeting me and not general people will know that kind of details and he attacked me for why did you not spend your $60,000 and uh you didn't get elected. He didn't make any sense. He didn't know, you know, what was going on. So anyway, that was my basis. And uh less than $50,000 I raised a total less than $100,000 against my incumbent, Democratic incumbent had the total in the middle, not even the last $11 million.

Wow. And so moneywise, $100,000 versus $11 million is not a game. Supposedly, I should be, you know, the long time, you know, so much percentage. I should have been I should have been defeated.

Yeah. I should have been wiped out. But uh uh I beat him. So nobody nobody supported me. No organizations, [clears throat] no not even my party as I said and no lobbyists etc. So people were surprised the shock.

What do you think the catalyst was for you to win that election if you didn't have the support from your party? You didn't have money to to win. What is it that allowed you to win by a landslide?

I'm glad you asked that question. uh as a fellow Christian as I understand you are also Christian um God has uh nothing that is uh uh impossible as a person of faith uh only tool I had was that uh uh I was praying to your will uh not to be afraid and be brave. And then I prayed and he delivered that a miracle to me. That was a miracle. One of the, you know, miracles that people may not have believed in. Yeah. Now I want to d I want to go back. I want to go back to when you came to America. I mean a lot of people say they came to America with five bucks in their in their pocket. You came to America with 50 bucks in your pocket. Could have been hundred, but you know, the story goes $50. Now, what do you remember about those early days that really drove you forward when you came to America? What is it that really inspired you as an immigrant? Yeah, my [clears throat] story about $50.

I had went upon arrival here because I uh started out with that story because which was true and in fact I left my country of South Korea right after my military service uh right after college and then I was a artillery officer and they didn't pay us so much. So, I didn't have much money to save and uh uh leaving for America, I had to just clean up my bank account and that turned out to be hund $100. So I took $100 and then at that time there was no even direct flight from Korea to at that time my destination was Hawaii because that was the place where my first job started that the market gave me. Um but there was no direct flight to Hawaii from Korea. So, we had to go to Ku uh to Japan and spend a night and fly uh to Hawaii by Panam and my friends went to a shop uh and everybody's buying camera and he says, "Oh, you got to have a camera to take pictures to to have some memories." And so I invested my $50 to buy a camera.

That's the reason by the time I arrived in Hawaii, I had only $50 left. That was the the the story, you know, where it began. So from there, my journey began in America. It was remarkable how I survived and my education for my master's degree and a PhD and ended up being a professor. From there I was led into politics and here I am.

So you were a professor. What did you teach? My degree was a library and information science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Okay. And so uh USC uh dean I met her Dr. Matab was in the American Library Association convention in Chicago and my dean was introducing me as a doctoral student and I don't know why the dean was impressed by me and after several months she called me I come to US and teach for us. So that led my way to Southern California. And when did your career in politics start?

That was uh after [clears throat] teaching um USC for five years. I moved to uh Orange County and I taught at UCI for about three years. At the time the subject changed because originally my job uh to America was a a Korean language instructor and cultural instructor for peace core members who were assigned to go to Korea. So teaching Korean language was my interest and became evocation where wherever I go I started a Korean language school and so I proposed to to UCI uh to open up a Korean language class and that idea didn't go anywhere asked me to bring a million dollars to start a program and if you guarantee uh uh my teaching position after I uh set the class up and no we cannot guarantee then why should I try to raise a million dollars anyway I stopped that effort and about three years later as the somebody called me and come and teach oh there's a Korean language class and uh learned that one

professor who was a visiting professor from several [clears throat] national university and he returned and these suddenly had no um professor to teach. So they thought about me and called me to teaches. So so I talked there. So because of that teaching experience at USU uh UCI and USC um including my landlord or people around me kept on asking me uh to run for school board in Irvine and uh that that was about for two years no I don't know anything about what the school board is about what they do no politics I'm not interested in and I was studying my own business called the Dr. Choice Academy and then I resisted for two years and eventually ended up becoming a candidate because I was misled. Oh, there are two positions nobody's applying. Put your name in and you may get elected without having to, you know, go through any campaign, you know, in a real election.

And is that what happened? And it it ended up with 10 candidates for two positions, one incumbent going after her own seat uh and one open seat and uh one open seat. nine of us competing and I was the only non-Caucasian, only Asian with the accent and different um [clears throat] I guess a point of views, you know, visual uh minority uh and the language minority with the accent everything as a as adversarial situation. But um surprisingly enough, I didn't know how to campaign or anything, you know, but I got elected. That was a 1998 for the first time. That was my door opening.

Into politics. Into politics. You've been in politics for a long time. Ever since 1998.

Yeah. We're going on almost three decades. Yes. Close. Yeah. Close to it. About 27 years right now. And that is probably one of the records as well. Very few defeats as a continuous election. So I joke and then also plus reality. I'm still treading the water to get up the uh political pond and people keep on pushing me back into the that means people keep on electing me when I run. If you do if you don't win I mean you are forced to retire from the politics right but they keep on reelecting me so still I am you know happily serving my supporters and the constituents

you know I always wondered you're in a position financially where you don't need to work and obviously politics probably doesn't pay much um what is it that drew you to politics like why are you putting yourself through all all you know all this hassle at your age at your in your financial position and and not having to do it. What is it that draws you to climbing the political ladder?

I think you are making good point. Uh, nobody will uh try to become a politician for money because when I started u was it about $300 or $400 for the school board after insurance deduction or whatever deductions. So sometimes I deposited $4.90.

So it's not big pay, you know. No. uh even uh Irvine city council and mayors are much better off than other places. Uh that was a little bit better than in comparison to other cities was uh decent enough but I served in the school board for six years before I uh started as a school uh city council which was 2004 for the first time I ran. I served eight years on the city council and then you can serve only two terms consecutively at that time but the law the ordinance of the city and then I ran for mayor. Um and then I got elected the reelection I got reelected. So I served uh as a mayor 2012 to 2016 until I got elected to uh the state assembly in the 68th district. So um it was uh not intended but it turned out to be every step of local government the school uh school board, city council, mayor, assembly and senate. I think this has been a long uh record for anyone either minority or non non- minority even

professional politicians who like in Congress with no term limitations they forever serve until you know over 90 years old. I never intended to serve this this long but as you can see my memory is sharp and I'm physically unfit and people still desire me to serve them and keep on electing me. So if this condition continues or why not and your question so why are we serving in the uh the difficult uh process of becoming politician it is very difficult this year is the only comfortable time uh I'm not campaigning for reelection up to assembly every two years uh you have to run two times primary very end of uh the general election. But the Senate is for four years and right now four years after four years if I have served until 2028 I would have served for 10 years and the state regulation is that I shall serve only up to 12 years. So I will have a two years left to serve in the state legislature.

Uh but the Senate term is four years. So they would not let me run for to serve for two years because it's uh the less than four years. But anyway, that's a different story. uh having served as a minority and serving my uh uh city and the entire region for assembly was about roughly 50,000 people in the Senate. I have over a million uh people in my district that are double because senators have 40 members and this is assembly 80 members and in there [clears throat] all kinds of background people come and u quite a few now minorities I do see that uh now but when I started everything that I did was for the first time you defer first minority got elected to school board to the city etc etc as Asian as a Korean you know background back background looking back uh uh this is uh uh the for the first generation immigrants particularly because the first generation means that uh you are over 18 years old by the time you arrive that's

uh category we term them as a first generation. My children who were born here will be second generation.

What if you came over when you were five? Uh you you will become 1.5 generation. So if you came when you're five then you become 1.5 uh almost uh native but you have a uh deep uh your parental relationship in the root in the country of parents. So my children will be one uh second generation but uh they tend to I guess saturated and acquainted with the Korean culture what we do

uh like eating kimchi and the Korean food bugi and well everybody likes boogi and and kimchi now that's those staple foods in many diets. Yeah. 100 uh 100 days of the baby is 100 day survival celebration we call it pegil. And so looking back back uh [clears throat] uh you whether you uh nobody will plan hey I'm going to be a model role model for my Korean-Americans or immigrants but you turn out to be role model for that group uh not only for uh Korean Americans but for uh Asians for the wider spectum. for immigrants. Or look at Steven Choy who is supposedly first generation American with an even different shape and a different accent. He keeps on, you know, running and keeps on winning and keeps on serving the community for a long time. So I send a unspoken message to children and immigration population that uh once you have chosen America as your home country become assimilated and contribute.

Okay? Don't stay outside in the periph periphery and complain and looking up or that's what they are doing and that they should do the be involved become the builder. You pay you can become the leader of the community, contributor of the community rather than standing outside and complain about it. Uh and uh uh living in your own bubble as for example Korean-American bubble Korean-Americans tend to and I understand

cling to each other. Yeah. Yeah. Among themselves and even churches are all Korean speaking. So that's the reason as I said a while ago uh that the my category is a hyphen the Korean hyphen American. So I go to two churches even

the Korean church American church. Korean church and then I go to American church. So I I got to understand both world because I cannot abandon my roots and my culture. So I want to have some relationship build also built and then also they have a certain expectations on me.

Yes. So I try to maintain and uh um continue my relationship at the same time. Uh I'm an American. I want to learn what Americans believe in, what Americans uh uh talk about. I want to have American uh friends. So uh if you in in in my uh church I go to American church Marian's church in Irvine in the nearby uh Eupport [clears throat] course that's the border line is still in the juris jurisdiction of the Irvine uh uh in in in in the now I see a lot of uh non um [cough and clears throat] Anglo-Saxon white people are coming I've been going there about seven eight years and now I the very rapid change of non uh Caucasian um minorities are starting to to attend there and if you go there they have a program called the rooted and uh uh they assemble you with the similar background age group whatever and to do Bible study and introduction to church your belief that discussions and share the relationship and then after that nine

nine months program some when that that's over they put you into something called the life group becomes a lifetime friend and we continue meeting regularly either every week every two weeks depending upon that group and we keep on uh group doing group studies together and through the group studies we share meals or go to restaurants together. So maintain our relationship. So I have more friends I guess a closer friends you know among non Korean non Koreans and I'm in the

uh non Korean life group. Nice. And my wife only two non Caucasians in there. So I learn and try to assimilate and mingle with non Korean people as well. So uh that's what I try to tell uh Korean-Americans, my friends and also especially young people. um just to get involved in your community and you are living in the United States and with a lot of good benefits and a lot of difficulties that you have faced in your home country and this is a much better country and now rather than taking advantage of the established whatever the good benefits that America offers you need to think about how as an immigrant you can contribute to make your community better, America better and so you naturally become a role model and that's advice I try to tell my second generation and then among uh people who may have some ambition in politics because typically that's what they how did you get into politics you

know why did you get into politics So uh I guess that's the reason I kept on running uh because I gave a good vision and hope to non Koreans, all the immigrants.

I love that. I love that. And being an immigrant myself, I totally relate. I guess I always considered myself a first generation immigrant. I just learned I'm a first generation and a half immigrant.

So 1.5 generations. Yeah, cuz I was born there and I came when I was five. And that's why I asked you specifically. I'm like, so what am I considered? You know, it's still imperative. You know, Warren Buffett says the most important uh real estate you can invest in is the real estate in between your two ears. So it's it's this is the most important real estate to invest in. My mother uh was a super uh hero to me. Uh she emphas kept on emphasizing my village where where I grew up was a small farming village. But in that village alone uh we are wealthy uh family with a lots of land.

What she said was that uh I don't plan to inherit my land to you. I would rather sell them and put the knowledge to your brain which nobody can steal.

Yeah. But if you don't have a knowledge, wisdom in your head, then somebody smarter than you are could steal your land. That is very true.

Still true to this day. Still true. So that's invest in your my politics uh uh was uh based upon my education background. If I didn't have a PhD, USC wouldn't have uh invited me to teach at the graduate school. that was a graduate school uh and if I didn't have any teaching experience uh nobody around me including my landlord where I started my uh Dr. choice academy he became a good friend walk I don't know walk you are listening to me why not but uh uh he was one of the uh uh visionaries and believing in me kept on encouraging me run for school board I will support you and he turned out to be democrat but he did support me too

I don't know if he's still a democrat but you know so so um and all of is my uh educational background, teaching background impressed some other people encouraging me to run into politics. We need uh person like you with the educational background for our school and so still I'm in education committee in the Senate. Your business is uh in the bedrock of American dream. Uh

we make the American dream come alive. Exactly. supporting you know home ownership home ownership affordable home all kinds of problems that we are facing

I mean you got to make it happen uh the mortgages uh available for firsttime home buyers

low credit income I mean yeah and building uh good credit which is very important for lenders like you so um that is uh some message you can tell to have a good uh uh to build a good credit that means you got to become a good person.

Yeah. You know to become good person you got to respect the god. That's right. God the Bible teaches you you how to become a good good person. So I think your business can be

a vessel for God's truth. It it telling uh such a you know basis for human being to be nice respecting the god and providing the means for them how to become how to build a good credit and uh I can trust you I can loan my money which will be you know always a basis for home loans.

Yeah. Right. And uh they can buy starting home. my uh district director he uh started uh his first home and I don't know whether he got the mortgage you know from you or somebody else with a good rate or not. I think that you are doing wonderful uh doing wonderful work for achieving American dreams for the home buyers.

We're doing we're doing God's work. That's our that's our number one pillar. Serve and do God's work first and foremost. the money always follows.

I mean, if you know of anything, I know where there's a lot of discussion about the portable mortgages from Trump. There's a discussion about the 50-year mortgages from Trump. We were just having discussion before we got on the podcast like, you know, we would need to hit a 50-year mortgage, a portable mortgage, a reduction in housing, a lower interest rate to make housing affordable. I don't know what you know or what tricks, you know, that Sacramento or government has up their sleeve to to make housing affordable again, but it seems like a very daunting task, quite scary and candidly almost borderline impossible.

I I I know uh everybody uh looks uh looks at the legislators in Sacramento. Um, unfortunately I'm a Republican and what I'm saying is that unfortunately means we are in the super minority group.

Uh, that in California in California and that means um uh we have a no power. We are only 25% of uh uh 40 people. Um and um uh everything on on the bill when we vote uh is uh based upon the majority vote. The thing is uh they keep on talking about affordable housing uh meaning that uh low cost housing uh to build the low cost housing you got to encourage builders. The builders are there out there not as a charity project. they are out there to make money.

Yeah. [clears throat] But um uh they need to know the the basics of uh economy and uh business world,

you know, to uh encourage them and make money to make them easier to develop home. So is that the less regulations more regulation is every step they they they try to get the permission that cost money under the name of fees they charge.

Yeah. You know the fees and the fees to build are crazy and the regulations are ver borderline impossible for a lot of these builders to build within affordable housing. It's impossible because it's so expensive. own uh years ago. Not my data is not up updated, but when I was a mayor, I was told to get a permit for one one side, it'll cost $54,000 per minute alone. And when that is already almost like

that's like a house, you know, affordable means to me $100,000, $200,000 will be in affordable means right now. But right right now that's not the reality. You know, cost of living goes up, inflation goes up is uh what the Southern California average house is what 98,000 98,000

980,000 dollars. That is not affordable even average. Yeah. Yeah. That's about $6,500 payment

to to buy. Yeah. Yeah. Which means you need to make a couple hundred,000 to break even.

Yeah. who can make uh that kind of a monthly payment for housing alone and the leftover that should be uh by your standard I understand should be uh less than one/3 right cost should be less than one one/ird because you have all the thing all the expenses you got to live on

so uh the lessening the regulations and and I love to hear that lessen regulations people you heard it first we're going to lessen them especially to build.

Yeah. [clears throat] And give the incentives. If you build more homes will give you some incentives, tax deduction, tax tax credits for certain things. So if you develop more than 50% of your all entire building project you are doing will will give you 50% of your expenses a tax credit such as some for developers to be incentivized incentiv incentivized to to build more homes rather than charging them more tax after more tax like what what they call millionaires tax. If you become richer, they will have to pay more tax. That's what what they are planning to do. And the developing rare um more tax more regulations after regulations that is not the approach. I mean you have heard about the 26 billion something dollars was spent last five seven years under the name of helping reducing reduction of homeless people. But uh after that huge amount of uh uh tax tax money is the homeless people getting reduced or

increasing. It's increasing. There are increasing every day in in Southern California.

It's going to increase more because housing is so expensive. Everything's so expensive.

So this is a very complicated issue. That's a very simplified comment I'm making. But uh if I were the governor, I would start the long range plan. Start from the young ages and the financial education, you know, how to manage your money and and uh many ways they can become independent and focusing upon education for them to study and stay in schools. Good become a good person.

I love that. I have a couple last questions before we wrap up here. Um I this one's about goals. What's a personal goal that you have for yourself a and a family goal that you have for the family as well as a goal that you have while you're state senator?

Well, that's a broad question. Uh as far [clears throat] as my American dream is concerned, I think I have already achieved. I'm so happy. Every moment uh I open my eyes, I'm grateful to my lord who has led me to this u uh level achieving American dream and the personal satisfaction and uh I'm happy that uh looking back it was not my goal to become uh wealthy or famous become a politician. turned out to be it was uh I didn't know where I go was going. I was not aiming to become a senator. it turned out to be a senator when I ran for um fourth term assembly and then I got defeated by um cop beggar Democratic person who came mo moved to my district because that was the better chance for win and that was the time when I was very despared well that maybe very sad ending as a losing record but uh I didn't know what that meant to me was sad for that time but uh now that God had a different reason he has prepared another door he

gave me chance to run for state senate and uh experience as a senator and as you Oh, the senator has a lot more prestige and more comfortable four years rather than every two years running. And so I wouldn't have had tasted the as a senator experience if I was not defeated the fourth term. I didn't know at that time, you know, why I lost.

Yeah. But uh now God has different purpose and that created that like I said in the beginning a small miracle but to me that's a very very you know I I think the majority people who know about my story that was a big big big miracle with that kind of a small campaign money and less than $100,000 raised. How did you win the $11 million you know candidate? So uh teaching uh the young uh people and uh u people who uh aim for American dreams and be even become a politician. Whoever whatever the vision you may have is that uh uh um follow uh the will of God what the good opportunities uh he has prepared he will lead you to that goal and that's what looking back that has happened to my life.

I love that. Last question. Sure. When you're in front of the pearly gates what do you think God's going to tell you? Job well done. And I will say thank you, sir.

God bless you, Senator Joy. God bless your service. I look forward to seeing what you're going to do as state senator. I can I wish you much prosperity and uh you know, may the Lord always protect and shine over every decision you make.

Oh, thank you for that uh opportunity uh to share my experience a little bit. uh uh as a fellow Christians uh uh I'm happy to share my experience how good God led me uh to this point with the abundant uh blessings which I never um begged for. uh but uh looking back that was what exactly he had his uh uh purpose in me and the doors and the destination already decide decided. So um I will uh close uh by saying that uh um all the people uh with the Christmas coming and we need to understand what the Christmas is this is uh celebration of uh our savior lord Jesus Christ birthday uh and uh not is not uh is uh many religions uh they celebrate as a holiday but this particular Christmas day is a celebration of uh Jesus birth and so with the season upon us the people will experience the happiness the meaning of uh uh Jesus coming uh to this world to save us and uh in the conflict of uh uh so many different conflicts that we are

witnessing in the world. I hope that peace can be achieved. I'm sure he has uh uh his goal someday that peace will be achieved uh on earth. You know that's what our ultim ultimate desire. So

ultimate goal peace on earth is what I would like to wish everybody. God bless you. Thank you so much for coming on today's show. Thank Thank you so much, Joseph.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "From $50 to the State Senate | Faith & the American Dream ft. Senator Steven Choi | Coffeez"?

Joe Shalaby (Host), Senator Steven Choi (Guest).

What is "From $50 to the State Senate | Faith & the American Dream ft. Senator Steven Choi | Coffeez" about?

Senator Steven Choi discusses his journey from a modest financial background to serving in the state senate, emphasizing the importance of faith in his life and leadership. He shares insights into his daily routine, which includes reading the Bible, and reflects on the impact of his recent visit to Israel on his understanding of scripture.

What is mentioned in this Coffeez for Closers with Joe Shalaby episode?

18 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including John Choi, God, Senate, Faith, Housing, Education. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "From $50 to the State Senate | Faith & the American Dream ft. Senator Steven Choi | Coffeez"?

The episode runs 47 min; the transcript is about 6,264 words in 79 timestamped sections.

More from Coffeez for Closers with Joe Shalaby

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.