Posted on 03/03/2010 7:26:49 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO -- Democrat Jerry Brown - acknowledging he's more pragmatic and centrist than when he was California governor three decades ago - said Wednesday that if elected again he will bring Republicans and Democrats together with "business people, union people and tea party people" to produce an "honest" state budget.
"It's not going to have anything in it that I'm not sure we can accommodate," he said, adding that to solve California's $20 billion budget deficit, "it's going to take certainly two years - maybe longer," he said. "But I will be patient as needed and I will tell the truth in ways (that hasn't happened) in years past."
Brown's comments came one day after he announced that he would run for an unprecedented third term as California governor.
The 71-year-old state attorney general, in an hourlong interview with The Chronicle, embraced his decades of political experience, took a politically centrist path and argued that in trying times it will take a seasoned and determined leader with a bipartisan outlook to lead California out of its budget morass.
Recalling that his legendary former chief of staff B.T. Collins once advised him that "politics is personality," Brown said, "the personality of every legislator is very important. And I'm going to pay attention to every personality in that Legislature."
"I'm going to understand how they see things," he said. "I really feel like the fate of our state and our country depends on a process like this."
Brown spoke frankly about how his political and personal outlook is different from the ambitious 36-year old political wunderkind who held office for two terms from 1975 to 1983.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
“I’ll take that under consideration.”
Jerry Brown was at ground zero of our state budget problems. He helped the state workers to unionize when he was governor.
better solution vote for Meg.
Amen to that!!!
I moved to Idaho in Dec 2000. CA was too expensive, controlling and loony for me to stay.
And since he can be directly or indirectly linked to the problems that California is going through now I'm sure he will do his best to try and fix them. If he does not he's an idiot.
Only a suicidal culture would elect Jerry Brown governor. The moniker “Moonbeam” insults the moon, beams, and moonbeams...
Gov. Brown—go back to Oakland—they need you—the State who helped to wreck doesn’t. Your day has passed.
If Jerry Brown gets a 2nd chance to destroy California, I am going to scream.
If the idiot electorate of California elects Jerry Brown as Governor, then this state deserves to crash and burn. Which it will.
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