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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 18, 2009 - 12:41am PT
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Hands down, it looks at this point like it will be Jerry Brown.
Polls have him overwhelming Newsom in the primary, even in SF. They also have him whipping any of the three Repubs. It isn't over, but this guy is a veteran, with many natural advantages.
What will this mean?
It won't likely be "more of the same", as he has consistantly been an innovator in his political career. Demonstrably honest and never having been interested in enriching himself (probably his jesuit roots), he has adopted far reaching approaches, that time have proven right.
He gained the nickname "Governor Moonbeam", due to his advocacy of a state-owned satellite to facilitate emergency communications. After he was out of office, this was actually done, proving his foresight. Some of the highlights of his Governorship from Wikipedia:
In 1970, Brown was elected California Secretary of State. Brown used the position, which was historically limited in power, to bring lawsuits against corporations such as Standard Oil of California, International Telephone and Telegraph, Gulf Oil, and Mobil for violation of campaign-finance laws and argued in person before the California Supreme Court.
Brown also enforced laws requiring members of the California State Legislature to disclose sources of campaign funds and investigated allegedly falsely-notarized documents that had allowed Richard Nixon to claim a large tax deduction. Brown also played an important role in the drafting and passage of the California Fair Political Practices Act. [1] These highly-publicized actions resulted in statewide acclaim, and led to his election as governor in the next statewide election.
Strongly opposed to the Vietnam War, Brown had a broad base of support from California's young liberals.
Upon election, he refused many of the privileges and trappings of the office, forgoing the newly constructed governor's residence (which was sold in 1983) and instead renting a modest apartment at the corner of 14th and N Streets, adjacent to Capitol Park in downtown Sacramento. Instead of riding as a passenger in chauffeured limousines as previous governors had done, Brown was driven to work in a compact sedan, a Plymouth Satellite from the state vehicle pool.
During his two-term, eight-year governorship, Brown had a strong interest in environmental issues. Brown appointed J. Baldwin to work in the newly-created California Office of Appropriate Technology, Sim Van der Ryn as State Architect, and Stewart Brand as Special Advisor. He appointed John Bryson, later the CEO of Southern California Electric Company and a founding member of the Natural Resources Defense Council, chairman of the California State Water Board in 1976.
In 1975, Brown obtained the repeal of the "depletion allowance", a tax break for the state's oil industry.
In 1977, Brown proposed and later passed a landmark tax incentive for home-owners installing solar panels.
Brown appointed the first black (Wiley Manuel), female (Rose Bird), and Latino (Cruz Reynoso) judges to the California Supreme Court.
It should be an interesting ride.......
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Oct 18, 2009 - 01:05am PT
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Proposition 13 became law in 1979, while Brown was governor. Perhaps a victory for populism, but a defeat for sane state budgets and economics. The current fiscal chaos in California is in large part attributable to such measures, and their fostering of public cognitive dissonance when it comes to government finances. (JE please chip in.) I wonder what Brown would do on this subject?
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 18, 2009 - 01:06am PT
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September 28, 2009 Rasmussen Poll
• Brown (D) 44%, Whitman (R) 35%
• Brown (D) 45%, Poizner (R) 32%
• Brown (D) 44%, Campbell (R) 34%
• Whitman (R) 41%, Newsom (D) 36%
• Poizner (R) 40%, Newsom (D) 36%
• Campbell (R) 42%, Newsom (D) 36%
Re: Meg
On her campaign Web site, she declares that "we all love California too much to let it fail." But for unexplained reasons, she took a pass from participating in two of the most important elections that have shaped California's politics this decade.
In 2003, she skipped the recall election that ousted Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and installed Schwarzenegger. Few elections in the state's history have attracted as much attention, with about 9 million people voting. Not Whitman.
She also did not vote in the 2005 special election in which Schwarzenegger was badly defeated in his attempt to win approval for initiatives designed to reform the political and governing process, including one that would have given the governor more power to constrain state spending.
Though she did not bother to participate in that election, she has said that, if elected, she would actively use the initiative process to try to fix a state that has become almost ungovernable. What did she learn from Schwarzenegger's experience with the initiative process?
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Oct 18, 2009 - 04:39am PT
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Okay dumb quwestion, but I may have the flu; How mant times can one be governor of California?
Brown in '10!
Even though Newsom could kick ass, as well.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Oct 18, 2009 - 09:14am PT
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Good, we will need him in '18 if he isn't president, by then.
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Srbphoto
Trad climber
Kennewick wa
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Oct 18, 2009 - 10:27am PT
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I wish people would stop blaming Prop 13 for all of Cali's woes. It passed 30 years ago. If you lost a job in 1979, would you still be blaming it for all your problems?
The problem is the legislature's and govenor's inability to spend only what they take in.
Funny, Prop 13 was rarely (if ever) mentioned in the early 90's when California had balanced budgets (and even surpluses).
Back to topic - Werner Braun, Govenor of California 2010
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Ray-J
Social climber
socal
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Oct 18, 2009 - 10:43am PT
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Jerry Brown said:
"I don't want to be the apostle of reduced expectations...but, reduce your expectaions"
meaning limited economic growth due to global glut of consumer durables, etc. etc.
very realistic, very smart.
we cannot afford another Reagan, no more B.S.
he could not change the overwhelming conditions (off shore manufacturing) that has robbed
our state of so many opportunities, but has done well dealing with the horrendous crime
problems caused by this shift.
we probably need him now.
I would feel comfortable writing Mr. Brown as governor urging his help in developing light industry, tax breaks or whatever, so we can begin the slow road to balancing the GDP.
WE HAVE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR INDUSTRY AND JOB DEVELOPMENT HERE IN CALI.
And I am a believer that we can do it, but we will need a realistic administration to help make it happen.
whatever you believe, we now need economic revision, and reform, not more pipe dreams and short term business (growth for growth sake) mentality here.
the old way of thinking is dead, it is a different world now and we have got to stay focused
on the real issues, not polarizing political theory.
my name is Ray Olson and I approve of this message.
cheers and safe climbing everyone,
long may you prosper.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Oct 18, 2009 - 10:52am PT
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Govenor sounds good but how about Jerry Brown for President?
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Argon
climber
North Bay, CA
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Oct 18, 2009 - 12:08pm PT
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Anyone but Gavin Newsom. Voting against him will be one of my most satifying votes - although there is really no hope for the state unless the entire legislature and every one of the lobbyists could be run out of town.
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apogee
climber
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Oct 18, 2009 - 01:33pm PT
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Newsom doesn't have a chance- too divisive, too much weird baggage- his appeal within the bubble of the far left SF crowd will only extend about that far. He would be shot by the rightwing Central Valley whackjobs on his first drive from SF to Excramento.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Oct 18, 2009 - 01:37pm PT
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Studly,
I don't see Brown as President for one reason; he's too old now.
He won't be taking on Obama in the '012 Democrat primary, and he'll be 80 years old by the time he would take office in '017.
I wonder in he's been thinking about hooking back up with Linda Rondstadt.
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Oct 18, 2009 - 02:41pm PT
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Prop 13 is mostly enjoyed by the elderly. Taking away that safegaurd and all of a sudden hitting them with a tax liability that is 4-6 times higher then what they pay now would force a lot of them to sell their homes. Nice, especially at a time when real estate is stagnant.
Why does it have to be real estate? Tax something that everyone has. Gas, food items, etc. At least it'll be spread more evenly across the populace.
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rick d
climber
ol pueblo, az
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Oct 18, 2009 - 02:56pm PT
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prop 13's biggest abusers are land and commercial properties owners who converted to LLC/corp ownership and have conveyed to new owners since '79 to retaining the low tax bracket. County assessors have this info if any of you wish to seek the truth.
It would be nice if it were only the elderly and their primary residence, but raw land and buildings are included (second homes, investments, rentals etc).
a dumb law that has helped the state suffer.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Oct 18, 2009 - 05:38pm PT
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Newsome - never
Brown - OK
Maria Shriver - ? !!
Prop 13 - Forever.....California's budget problems are immigration related.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Oct 18, 2009 - 05:50pm PT
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Gas and food are not really proportioned across the economic spectrum. Poorer people pay a much higher percentage of their income for those things, thus a tax on those affects them more.
Taxing property and income has a more even distribution.
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Oct 18, 2009 - 06:05pm PT
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Rick,
Oh I'm sure there's abuse, no good deed goes unpunished. But the study done by USC did find the greatest benefactor to Prop13 was the older home buyers who have stayed put. The reality of some individuals weaseling through loopholes is a sad by-product. I wouldn't be opposed to repealing Prop13-but only if it was replaced by a reasonable system of tax assessment. The arbitrary nature that Prop13 curtailed was insane.
I'm just tired of every level of government's(city, county, state) solution to their budget mismanagement is to add another surcharge to Property tax.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Oct 18, 2009 - 06:43pm PT
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No on Newsome from the (filthy pot-hole riddled) streets of SF.
I hope Arnold from Diffrent Strokes runs again.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Oct 18, 2009 - 10:00pm PT
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I'd vote if Russ Walling or Werner Braun were running. Other wise the rest are a waste of time.
Peace
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