You’ve seen him on Comedy Central. You’ve seen him on commercials. You may have even seen him on the big screen. And, if you were walking downtown on the Jan. 24, you may have seen Ben Stein buying sugar cookie-scented candles.

Sacramento has certainly seen its fair share of celebrities. It’s not an odd occurrence for famous citizens to be spotted from time to time. But it came as a surprise to many downtown to see one walking calmly down the street with a cup of tea from Starbucks, saying hello to nearly everyone who passed.

“I love Sacramento,” said Stein, looking through some buildings at the capital. “You have a great capital, and the park is just beautiful.”Stein was walking through the shops on K Street, looking for a solution to his foul smelling room at the Sheraton Grand. He was also looking for another Starbucks.

Like most celebrities, wherever he went people recognized him. Most people would pass and then whisper to each other. You could barely make out “Was that him?” and “I think it was!” The braver ones would come up to shake his hand, and become very surprised when he not only shook back, but attempted conversation.

“Being a celebrity is great,” he said. “No matter where I go I’m never alone.”

It wasn’t all candles and shaking hands though. He was in town to make a speech in front of the Downtown Chamber of Commerce. He was an appropriate speaker. Stein had a long political career before he made his break into show business. In the 1970s he worked as a speechwriter and lawyer for both President Nixon and Ford. He also has worked as a columnist for the “Wall Street Journal,” and has written articles on business ethics for Barrons.His speech that night was more influenced by his comedy then by his politics, but he still couldn’t help but voice his opinion on many issues facing California while walking around the capital.

“The homeless problem is so sad,” he said, “I remember when there were no homeless people, even in the big cities. That was one of biggest mistakes of the ’80s, the closing of the institutions.”Education was also on his mind.

“There has been no correlation between increased education spending and better scores for students. The best way for students to learn is to be inspired to learn.

“But then, I pay $22,000 for my son to go to high school,” He added.

Having found the candles he needed to cover up the carpet cleanser smell in his room, he returned to prepare for the real reason he came to Sacramento.

It was a black tie affair. The evening began with a dinner, leading up to awards being presented to members of the board. Stein was scheduled to close the night.

He was introduced to great applause and immediately began with the jokes.

“Bill Clinton and Jesse Helms get on a plane…” he said, warming up the audience for a string of jokes.

He also read from one of his books, “How To Ruin Your Life.””This book is inspired by my son,” he said, “All you parents of teenagers will understand.”

But the speech wasn’t all laughs. It was also meant to instill a sense of purpose into the audience.

“I remember the first day I really became happy,” he said, “It was when I realized that if I could be a good son to my parents, and a good husband, and a good father, then I was really living.”

“And if any of you want to hear about the state of the California budget,” he said, stepping off the podium to a standing ovation, “feel free to see me in the lobby at the outside.”

After shaking hands and making small talk with many of the members of the Chamber of Commerce he took to the streets again. He walked down J Street with his agent and a few members of the audience, waving to people on the street and stopping into the occasionally open business.

But his purpose that evening always remained clear.

“How far is that Starbucks?”