Jerry Brown in The Los Angeles Times

On Budget & Economy: $27B budget gap then; multibillion-dollar surplus now

Brown noted the recent shift in how the rest of the nation views California, now that the state has closed a $27-billion budget gap from when Brown began his term in 2011. Instead of being viewed as a failed state, Brown said, California has regained its reputation as an engine of innovation and creativity.

"California is still a very yeasty place," he said, noting the state's record for companies that develop new technologies that grow into major industries. He said the state now has multibillion-dollar surpluses that can continue for the next several years if state lawmakers spend responsibly.

Source: Los Angeles Times on 2014 California Governor race Dec 16, 2013

On Education: No government-imposed standards for public schools

Brown blasted the notion of government-imposed standards for public schools, saying he opposed efforts from Washington and Sacramento to dictate education policy. Using "data on a national or state level I think misses the point--that learning is very individual, very personal," Brown said. "It comes back to the teacher and the principal. The leader of the school is by far the most important factor."

When asked if he supported national education standards, Brown said, "No. That's just a form of national control." Brown reprised a story he tells frequently about an exam he had in high school when a teacher asked students to write their impressions of a green leaf. "Still, as I walk by trees, I keep saying, 'Can I feel anything? Am I dead inside?' So, this was a very powerful question that has haunted me for 50 years." The point, Brown said, is that "you can't put that on a standardized test. There are important educational encounters that can't be captured by tests."

Source: Los Angeles Times on 2014 California Governor race Dec 16, 2013

On Free Trade: Opposed the Northern American Free Trade Agreement

Brown was the last Democrat standing in the 1992 race against Bill Clinton, and their competition grew unusually personal and nasty, heightening the drama of a prospective 2016 campaign.

Brown repeatedly attacked Clinton's character and ethics, took after Hillary Rodham Clinton for her work with a prominent Arkansas law firm while her husband was governor--"You ought to be ashamed of yourself," Bill Clinton said in a finger-wagging debate exchange--and carried his fight to the party's national convention long after it was clear Clinton would be the nominee.

Brown never explicitly endorsed Clinton's candidacy and remained a thorn once Clinton became president, opposing the Northern American Free Trade Agreement, welfare reform and other Clinton administration initiatives. Still, Clinton backed Brown's 2010 campaign for governor, even ignoring a swipe about Monica Lewinsky, for which Brown quickly apologized.

Source: Mark Z. Barabak in Los Angeles Times Dec 17, 2013

On Gun Control: Pushed back against liberals on gun control

Brown has established himself as a moderating force in Sacramento, pushing back against liberals on issues such as gun control and business regulation, which, to some, suggests an effort to shed the kooky Left Coast image of his first time as governor, more than 20 years ago, and craft a more centrist profile ahead of 2016. Source: Los Angeles Times, "Politics Now: Brown 2016" Dec 17, 2013

On Jobs: Extend unemployment benefits federally

Brown has expressed concerns that tens of thousands of Californians without jobs could soon lose their unemployment benefits, under a new bipartisan budget deal reached in Washington.

The governor sent a letter to congressional leaders late last week urging them to extend benefits for those who have been unable to find work. "These workers will suffer irreparable harm if these federal benefits are allowed to expire," Brown wrote, noting that more than 214,000 Californians could see their benefits expire.

Brown also noted the "severe federal underfunding" of the state's unemployment insurance program, which the governor blamed for delays in workers receiving their unemployment checks.

Source: Los Angeles Times on 2014 California Governor race Dec 16, 2013

On Principles & Values: Protect the Earth, serve the people, & explore the universe

In 1991, when Brown announced he would run for president, [one pundit wrote]: "It's not so much that Brown has changed but that the times have changed around him. In some ways America has caught up with Jerry Brown."

[He was called] "Gov. Moonbeam" for attracting California's New Age crowd.

Brown was a New Wave politician before the phrase was coined. [In 1980], his campaign platform was: 'Protect the Earth, serve the people, explore the universe.' He was the candidate of new, unconventional ideas.

Source: Lori Kozlowski in Los Angeles Times, "Moonbeam" Oct 25, 2010

The above quotations are from Media coverage of CA political races in The Los Angeles Times. Click here for other excerpts from Media coverage of CA political races in The Los Angeles Times. Click here for other excerpts by Jerry Brown. Click here for a profile of Jerry Brown.
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org! Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Aug 06, 2024