Jerry Brown rambles about Prop. 13

04.19.10 - 9:54 am | Tim Redmond |

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Jerry Brown's speech at the state Democratic convention was apparently well received, and his gimmicky call for a three-way debate got him a lot of good press. But if you want to see Brown's essential problem -- his inability to articulate a real vision for the future of the state, and his utter cluelessness on tax issues -- check out this somewhat alarming video that Sweet Melissa captured at a NARAL event April 11. His answer to a Prop. 13 question was rambling, incoherent, and completely off point. Not good news.

I mean, Meg Whitman has already poured $60 million of her own money into the race, and now she's getting ready to put in more. Why? Because despite spending more cash than the gross national product of some small countries, all she's been able to do is pull even with Brown at about 42 percent. Nobody in California who has any access to media can have missed Whitman's blitz; she's got her name recognition up, and everyone knows what her message is. But so far, a majority of the state isn't buying it.

So Brown has a chance here. He can tag Whtman as a friend of Goldman Sachs, as an example of everything that's wrong with American politics and finance, as another Schwarzenegger (whose ratings are in the toilet) and as someone who doesn't offer any credible solutions to the state's problems.

But first Brown needs to offer some credible solutions himself. And he's not doing it.

Comments

SB 810 - True Universal Healthcare

He can start by coming out in public support of SB 810, California's plan for true, affordable, universal healthcare. By adopting a single payer health insurance package for all California residents, it is possible to save enough money to cover all of those who are currently uninsured, and better cover those who currently do have health insurance. Brown should state publicly that he would sign the bill if it came to his desk.

Posted by Guest on Apr. 19, 2010 @ 2:12 pm

Gubernatorial debate

So Jerry Brown wants to debate Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner. Excellent idea -- but only if "minor" parties' candidates also are invited. And if the media are to do their job properly, they'll insist on it.

Posted by Richard Knee on Apr. 19, 2010 @ 5:16 pm

Prop 13

What Brown actually said is that a Proposition to end Proposition 13 would easily fail.

And he is correct about that. It doesn't make him a bad person for acknowledging the reality that it would fail because, quite simply, all the polls and evidence show that it would fail.

So criticize him all you want, but he is at least a pragmatic realist on this matter.

And why would you want his campaign to fail by supporting an issue that you know the 2/3 of the population that own homes will oppose?

Especially since Prop 13 can't be repealed by the Governor anyway?

Posted by Tom Foolery on Apr. 19, 2010 @ 10:36 pm

I own a home but do not

I own a home but do not support prob 13. I believe many homeowners also don't. Prob13 makes it difficult to trade up to a better homes.

Posted by Guest on Oct. 18, 2010 @ 11:17 pm

No Significant Difference

Jerry Brown has turned into a typical right wing Democrat. And as anyone can see by what Barak Obama is doing and what Gray Davis did, there's not a lot of difference between right wing Democrats and Republicans. Something happened to Brown when he ran for mayor of Oakland, and he hasn't been the same since.

The Bay Guardian should start supporting progressive party candidates instead of Democrats, who are just advocates for the liberal wing of corporate America. We are never going to get any positive, significant changes from them, and the sooner people like the Bay Guardian realize this and act on it, the sooner we can have a realistic chance of getting some change we can actually believe in, as the big corporate Democrat in the White House put it.

Posted by Jeff Hoffman on Apr. 24, 2010 @ 9:45 am

I own a home but, like many

I own a home but, like many other home owners, do NOT support prob 13. Prob 13 makes it difficult to trade up to a better home.

Posted by Guest on Oct. 18, 2010 @ 11:18 pm

Are you on drugs?

Are you on drugs?

Posted by Guest on Nov. 02, 2010 @ 8:37 pm

jerry brown is going to

jerry brown is going to officially destroy california.

Posted by Guest on Nov. 02, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

Proposion 13

Does the state of calif really want to hurt the older people of this state?