An Open Letter to the People of California

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued the following open letter to the people of California:

 

December 5, 2011

 

When I became Governor again—28 years after my last term ended in 1983—California was facing a $26.6 billion budget deficit. It was the result of years of failing to match spending with tax revenues as budget gimmicks instead of honest budgeting became the norm.

 

In January, I proposed a budget that combined deep cuts with a temporary extension of some existing taxes. It was a balanced approach that would have finally closed our budget gap.

 

I asked the legislature to enact this plan and to allow you, the people of California, to vote on it. I believed that you had the right to weigh in on this important choice: should we decently fund our schools or lower our taxes? I don’t know how you would have voted, but we will never know. The Republicans refused to provide the four votes needed to put this measure on the ballot.

 

 Forced to act alone, Democrats went ahead and enacted massive cuts and the first honest, on-time budget in a decade. But without the tax extensions, it was simply not possible to eliminate the state’s structural deficit.

 

The good news is that our financial condition is much better than a year ago. We cut the ongoing budget deficit by more than half, reduced the state’s workforce by about 5,500 positions and cut unnecessary expenses like cell phones and state cars. We actually cut state expenses by over $10 billion. Spending is now at levels not seen since the seventies. Our state’s credit rating has moved from “negative” to “stable,” laying the foundation for job creation and a stronger economic recovery.

 

 Unfortunately, the deep cuts we made came at a huge cost. Schools have been hurt and state funding for our universities has been reduced by 25%. Support for the elderly and the disabled has fallen to where it was in 1983. Our courts suffered debilitating reductions.

 

The stark truth is that without new tax revenues, we will have no other choice but to make deeper and more damaging cuts to schools, universities, public safety and our courts.

 

That is why I am filing today an initiative with the Attorney General’s office that would generate nearly $7 billion in dedicated funding to protect education and public safety. I am going directly to the voters because I don’t want to get bogged down in partisan gridlock as happened this year. The stakes are too high.

 

 My proposal is straightforward and fair. It proposes a temporary tax increase on the wealthy, a modest and temporary increase in the sales tax, and guarantees that the new revenues be spent only on education. Here are the details:

 

• Millionaires and high-income earners will pay up to 2% higher income taxes for five years. No family making less than $500,000 a year will see their income taxes rise. In fact, fewer than 2% of California taxpayers will be affected by this increase.

• There will be a temporary ½ cent increase in the sales tax. Even with this temporary increase, sales taxes will still be lower than what they were less than six months ago.

• This initiative dedicates funding only to education and public safety—not on other programs that we simply cannot afford.

 

This initiative will not solve all of our fiscal problems. But it will stop further cuts to education and public safety.

 

I ask you to join with me to get our state back on track.

A PDF version of the letter can be found here.

 

Jerry Brown

ICYMI: What Are We Paying Obama For? And Can It Get Worse?

By Thomas Del Beccaro, CRP Chairman (as seen in Big Government)

It's simply hard to imagine this passes for a Presidency. At what point does he become simply too much for the senses? Sure we have had some interesting and bad Presidents before - recently in fact. Nixon changed our view of the Presidency for the worse. Carter was beyond ineffectual. Bush 41 broke a huge promise. Clinton wagged his finger while lying - and a bit more than that. But this President is truly something and it's not just the facts that are bad - it's his excuses and manners that make this Presidency so incredibly bad.

Let us count the ways:

A. The Economics.

This list is well known by now - but that doesn't mean it is highlighted by the Media as it would be of a Republican was president.

1. Unemployment at 9% for a historically long time. According to Obama he inherited this mess and blames President Bush and ATMs. Yes Obama believes automation, like ATMs, is to blame - as if such automations like automobiles (accounting for nearly 20% of our economy) and computers (creating employers like EBAY and Microsoft) are the cause of our unemployment. Beyond that, Obama joked that he was wrong about "shovel ready" projects, created the "Saved" jobs category out of thin air, and claimed that the stimulus bill would prevent unemployment from going above 8%. What's missing, of course, is a plan to lower unemployment - let alone actually lower unemployment.
2. Gas Prices. They are currently 85% higher than when he took office. He shut down our Gulf oil production for ideological not actual reasons and delayed a Canadian pipeline for political reasons. When Bush 43 saw high gas prices, the Media told him to go his friends in the Middle East to ask them to raise production. Since Obama wanted $5 gasoline all along, he has no plan to lower energy prices and the Media doesn't harp on the issue. Meanwhile the economy is hurt badly because of the higher costs of energy that reduce purchasing power and hurt employers everywhere.
3. Foreclosure/Home Mortgage Crisis. This is the one part of the economy that actually is in a crisis that is "the worst since the Great Depression" - a phrase Obama is fond of overusing. Obama has continued the policy of bailing out the Banks for foreclosure related losses, encouraged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailouts instead of reforming them and now he has sued the very Banks he bailed out because of their foreclosure practices - and no, there is no plan in sight let alone true relief.
4. The Deficit. It has quadrupled under Obama. Yet he says inherited it - and rather than change it, spending has actually gone up each of this 3 years. Obama's solution: have other people come up with a plan - he was traveling or on vacation. When it failed, he said he knew it would fail. So Chris Christie rightfully asks: What are we paying Obama for?

B. Foreign Policy.

1. Missiles. In his first year, Obama scrapped a missile system - thereby telling Poland that years of such work and friendship with the US are not all that important. It also told many others the same thing.
2. Libya. We are not at war - just facilitating war. What was the national security principle at stake? The Assassination principle? How very Nobel.
3. Egypt. For years Mubarak was a reliable partner that kept peace with Israel. He was kicked to the curb under Obama and Egypt has descended into chaos.
4. Israel. I don't quite know how much more you can disrespect an ally. Obama, however, managed to get caught doing what we already suspected - bad mouthing an allied leader. If that doesn't make you wonder what other leaders think he is doing - this combined list should.
5. U.S. Image Abroad. Remember when Obama said Bush ruined our image abroad? Yet today effigies of Obama are hung or burned across the Middle East and Europe has lost faith. Wouldn't you think of Nobel Peace prize would buy you more credibility than that?

All of which brings us to the Presidential meter. Just how Presidential has he been? I remember when Reagan would never take his jacket off in the Oval Office out of respect. FDR has serious fireside chats. Washington rode on a white horse.

As for Obama:

He just played golf with his friend who was busted in a prostitution sting. How very Presidential. We hear he did so out of loyalty. Nice.

As for his other loyalties, he bought a house from a criminal to be, Tony Rezko. Obama got a great deal to boot. At least is suffering from a foreclosure crisis - and let us not forget that he had a proud terrorist, Bill Ayers, raise money for him.

With friends like that, it kind of makes you miss Bebe Rebozo doesn't it?

Of course, we can't forget the wonderful Reverend Wright - someone he was loyal enough to attend his "church" for 20 years but not loyal enough to really listen to him.

Obama doesn't much listen to the American people either. How else do you push ObamaCare down voters' throats and wind up with 26 states suing and others all but nullifying the legislation?

All of which brings me to the final point:

Obama's Miserable Consensus Building.

While some Presidents are known for courageous and tough stands that pay dividends in the years to come, most all of them are judged, at some level, by whether their coalition of supporters is larger after they take office then before. We have already seen what the World has thought of Obama. We know that, at home, his 2008 coalition is gone and it is not just because of the bad economy.

Obama has been picking fights with the American electorate from day one. The Stimulus Bill cleaved off his Republican support and fostered the Tea Party - which he then vilified on the way to ObamaCare. In between, he tried to legislative enact Cap & Trade, lost and crammed that down America through the EPA. He wanted to "prosecute" 911 enemy combatants in a New York court room and yielded only when even liberal New York said no.

Since then, Obama has engaged in class warfare over taxes in such a way as to only convince Americans he missed economics class.

In the final analysis, of President's seeking re-election, two basic questions are asked:

(1) Is the Country better off? and,

(2) Have you brought the Country closer together?

In fact, Obama has not and, quite frankly, it hasn't been pretty watching it either.

Source: CA GOP

It's The Vision Thing, Jerry Brown

By Thomas Del Beccaro, CRP Chairman (as seen in Flash Report)
 

Nearly a year after his election, Jerry Brown’s second try at Governor is just about as inspiring as a 2 AM rerun. Simply stated, his governorship lacks a vision. Brown has not challenged Californians to achieve anything nor has he empowered them to succeed on their own. Brown's sole purpose appears to be nothing more than to demand that Californians bail out Sacramento. The years to come are likely to be no different.

 

There are political leaders that set a clear agenda, challenge their constituents to reach new heights and then empower them to succeed. On the other hand, there are managers of government that lack a vision and seek only minor adjustments to the status quo. Surely, Jerry Brown is among the latter.

 

At the time he took office, California suffered among the nation's worst unemployment and Californians had lost over 1/4th of the nation’s home equity. Central Valley farming remains in a depression and inter-city schools are among the nation's worst.

 

In response, Brown has declared no over-arching goals let alone help Californians to take command of their future. Brown remains Sacramento-centric. His only focus appears to be the state budget and his only response is more laws.

 

There is no grand plan, urgent or otherwise, to restore jobs in this state. For instance, despite a full legislative session, Brown offers… (Read more)

Source: CA GOP

CRP Chairman's Statement: CARB Decision Bad for California's Future

SACRAMENTO – California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro issued the following statement tonight in response to the decision by the California Air Resources Board to approve a controversial cap-and-trade system:

 

"With this step, the California government has ensured high unemployment, low revenues and resultant deficits for years to come. At some point, with our jobless rate mired at 12 percent, Jerry Brown should consider actually helping the unemployed, not ensuring their despair."

Source: CA GOP

Governor Brown Signs Legislation to Streamline Environmental Review and Fast-Track Job Creation

LOS ANGELES – Taking action to fast-track the creation of thousands of jobs, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed legislation to streamline environmental review for key construction projects. The two bills, signed during a ceremony at the proposed site of the Farmers Field stadium, are expected to drive hundreds of millions in economic investment while ensuring all projects meet California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) criteria.

“It’s time for big thinking and big projects that put Californians back to work,” said Governor Brown. “Projects like Farmers Field can create thousands of jobs during a tough economic time, so it is imperative for the state to cut the red tape that could delay projects like this for years. These bills strike the right balance between protecting our environment and kick-starting jobs and investment in California.”

Governor Brown signed the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2011, AB 900, during a ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center, at the proposed site of the Farmers Field stadium. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D-San Ramon) and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), establishes an expedited regulatory review for projects designated by the Governor as “leadership projects.”

Under AB 900, these projects are not exempt from CEQA, but will go through a fast-track judicial review process in California’s Court of Appeal.

The Governor also signed SB 292 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), which designates the Farmers Field NFL football stadium as a leadership project subject to a streamlined review that mirrors AB 900. It enacts a strict set of criteria for the stadium’s construction, requires the project to be carbon neutral, mitigates impacts on traffic and air quality, and establishes a less onerous review process. The only review timeframe reduced by SB 292 impacts the City of Los Angeles and the developer, who will now have 5 days—rather than 30—to reply to project challengers, who retain the timeframes already laid out by CEQA.

“I’m pleased the Governor has signed the legislation to move the Farmers Field and Convention Center Project forward in a way consistent with California’s environmental laws,” said Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles). “This project will create 23,000 jobs for our economy while building the most environmentally advanced stadium in the United States. This stadium will be a source of pride for every Californian.”

“There is no more important priority than creating jobs for Californians and growing our economy,” said Senator Steinberg. “These bills will create tens of thousands of new jobs for hardworking people in Los Angeles and throughout our state, while also respecting the quality of life and environment California is famous for around the world.”

Construction of the 68,000 seat stadium is expected to generate more than 10,000 jobs, bringing in an estimated $40 million a year to the city, county and state. AEG’s design for Farmers Field would make it “the most environmentally friendly stadium in the nation,” a LEED-certified facility with a net zero carbon footprint.

Governor Brown to Take Action Tomorrow to Help Create Jobs, Boost Economy

LOS ANGELES – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will join civic, business and labor leaders tomorrow in Los Angeles to take action that will help put thousands of Californians to work.

When: Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 10:30 a.m.

Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, West Hall (North Plaza, along Chick Hearn Court), Los Angeles, CA 90015

**NOTE: This event is open to credentialed media and will be webcast on the Governor’s website: www.gov.ca.gov. Reporters attending should arrive by 10:00 a.m.

Governor Brown Calls for Pacific Rim Leaders to Wage War on Unemployment

SAN FRANCISCO – Speaking at the largest diplomatic gathering in California in more than 65 years, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today urged political and business leaders to wage a "war on unemployment" by combating global warming and preparing for climate change.

“Everyone seems to have forgotten about climate change, but climate change has not forgotten about us,” Brown told the 23rd annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in San Francisco. “The crisis gets closer, but many officials in Washington and along the Pacific Rim act as though they can shush it away with silence and diplomatic delay. That won’t work. We have to stop our relentless addiction to fossil fuel and get serious about renewable energy.”

Brown addressed the APEC Transportation & Energy Ministerial Conference, a gathering of hundreds of public and private-sector delegates and cabinet-level and ambassadorial officials from along the Pacific Rim. This year’s conference marks the largest set of diplomatic meetings held in California since the United Nations convened in San Francisco in 1945.

“We have an immediate world-wide economic crisis that has thrown millions of people out of work,” Brown said. “And we are facing another longer-term crisis of global warming that will threaten our food supply and drinking water in much of the world, including here in California. It makes sense to now wage a war on unemployment by making the investments needed to curb global warming and get our communities ready for the effects of climate change. This vital work will create millions of new jobs. Just as President Roosevelt put people to work during the Great Depression building dams, roads, schools and other public facilities, we can now put millions of people to work preparing our communities for the effects of climate change and building renewable energy projects.”

The APEC conference brings together private sector experts and public sector officials to promote economic growth through trade expansion and regional investment. Key challenges addressed at the conference include:

• Shifting from petroleum-based fuels to biofuels and electric vehicles;

• Improving systems and technologies to increase the speed at which goods move among production zones, transportation hubs and markets; and

• Eliminating economic barriers for businesses and exporters such as lack of financing, difficulty identifying foreign business opportunities, and rising transportation costs.

As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, meeting these challenges is more important than ever before, Brown explained. Extreme heat in 2010 brought the worst drought in 100 years to the Hunan province in China, killing crops and causing massive swarms of locusts. 2011 was the hottest summer in the United States in 75 years. In July, Arctic sea ice was at the lowest level ever recorded, while Pakistan experienced unprecedented monsoons.

“Although it is not possible to link any of these individual events to climate change, scientists warn us that these are the kind of effects that increased fossil fuel consumption will eventually bring about,” Brown said.

In California, Governor Brown has pressed for increasing investment in renewable energy, efficiency and reduced dependency on fossil fuels. In April, he signed legislation to increase California’s use of renewable energy to 33 percent by 2020.

“This will bring economic advantages to California as the state develops new sources of clean power, creates new jobs, improves air quality and increases energy security,” he explained.

Governor Brown to Give Keynote at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference

SAN FRANCISCO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will give the welcome keynote address at the 23rd Annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in San Francisco. Other speakers will include U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

When: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 8:00 a.m.

Where: Westin St. Francis San Francisco, Grand Ballroom, 335 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102.

Webcast: The event will be webcast live on www.gov.ca.gov. Video from the event will be available via an FTP site. (Username: press; Password: apec). For more information about broadcast video contact APEC2011@media.state.gov

**NOTE: This event is open to credentialed media. For further information and press credential applications click here.

Governor Brown Issues Statement On Senate's Failure to Pass California Jobs First Plan

SACRAMENTO—Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued the following statement after the California State Senate failed to pass the California Jobs First Plan.

"It's unbelievable that so many politicians in Sacramento would choose to protect cigarette makers and out-of-state corporations to the detriment of California jobs."

They Said It! August 30th Flashback

Obama Wasn't Kidding When He Said One Year Ago That He'd Talk About An Economic Plan “In The Days And Weeks To Come”

President Obama: "And that's why my administration remains focused every single day on pushing this economy forward, repairing the damage that's been done to the middle class over the past decade and promoting the growth we need to get our people back to work. So, as Congress prepares to return to session, my economic team is hard at work in identifying additional measures that could make a difference in both promoting growth and hiring in the short term and increasing our economy's competitiveness in the long term; steps like extending the tax cuts for the middle class, that are set to expire this year, redoubling our investment in clean energy and R&D, rebuilding more of our infrastructure for the future, further tax cuts to encourage businesses to put their capital to work creating jobs here in the United States. And I'll be addressing these proposals in further detail in the days and weeks to come." (President Barack Obama, Remarks About Having A Plan, Washington, D.C., 8/30/10)

Source: California Republican Party

Governor Brown Takes Action to Drive Job Growth in California

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will join legislative, business and labor leaders tomorrow to announce a proposal to drive job growth in California.

When: Tomorrow, Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.

Where: Governor's Press Conference Room, Room 1190, California State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814

**NOTE: This event is open to credentialed media only and will be webcast on the Governor’s website: www.gov.ca.gov.

They Said It! Democrat Senate President Proclaims Ownership of California's Unemployment Crisis!

As California’s double-digit unemployment continues, Democrat Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg told capitol reporters during a press briefing last Monday that Democrats will focus on job creation on their own, without input from Republicans:

"We intend on our own, as the majority party, to do all that we can, to put people back to work." [AUDIO]

But as quickly as Steinberg announced Democrats are now assuming full responsibility for job creation in California, he also made it clear not to expect much in the way of results:

"I don’t want to oversell though in the sense that um, you see how the national government is struggling to figure out to impact the unemployment numbers. California on its own, and certainly not in three and a half weeks, and certainly not with, you know, a series of bills, is going to turn that around overnight, but we have to do our part." [AUDIO]

More than two million Californians have lost their jobs in the past three years. Steinberg says that after six months of failed efforts to raise taxes, Democrats will now generously devote the remaining three weeks of the legislative session to job creation.

"These are three and a half very important weeks, and they’re weeks where our focus must be on doing everything we can to help the economy and put people back to work." [AUDIO]

A mere seven weeks after Democrat lawmakers passed their state budget plan, signed into law by Democrat Governor Jerry Brown, it’s collapsing under the weight of its rosy economic assumptions. According to State Controller John Chiang, the state took in about $4.7 billion in tax revenues in July, $538.8 million below 2011 budget projections.

Yet Steinberg still claims his flawed plan will be the key to California’s economic recovery:

"While balancing the budget is probably the most important thing we can do to maintain, you know, to instill confidence, that we also have a lot of legislative tools here to put people back to work." [AUDIO]

While Democrats were busy trying to raise taxes, Republicans were working to create jobs. But our common sense Republican-authored job creation bills for curbing frivolous lawsuits, increasing worker flexibility, analyzing regulatory impacts, and more were routinely killed in Democrat-dominated committees.

"How do we, in a responsible way, provide an economic impact analysis, that is standard, that is standardized across state agencies, whenever a new regulation is put forward?" [AUDIO]

And, even while Steinberg says Democrats will be focusing on job creation, at the same time they’ll be considering 13 more pieces of Democrat-authored legislation the California Chamber of Commerce has declared to be Job Killer bills. Cal Chamber’s 2011 Job Killers List.

Link to the full video of Monday’s press briefing: on.cagop.org/pYsNNg

CRP Statement on California's July Unemployment Report

SACRAMENTO, CA – California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro issued the following statement in regards to California's unemployment rate climbing by two-tenths of a percentage to 12 percent:

"The dismal unemployment numbers announced today are a stark reminder that the policies of the Democrat majority are failing California. We don’t need unrealistic green job programs or toothless legislative reform. Instead of piling on more job-crushing bills, the Democrats should vacate Sacramento and give California business owners a chance to turn things around."

Tahoe Summit 2011: Governor Brown and Governor Sandoval Announce Renewed Commitment to Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE – In an historic joint appearance at the 2011 Tahoe Summit, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval announced a renewed commitment to updating the Regional Plan for Lake Tahoe and enhancing the role of the two states in cooperating with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA).

“Lake Tahoe is a world treasure, and it is our duty to ensure that its natural splendor is protected for future generations of Californians and Nevadans,” said Brown. “The best way to do that is by working cooperatively with the State of Nevada to promote policies that ensure both the environment and the economy of Lake Tahoe are protected in perpetuity.”

“Governor Brown and I agreed that while much has changed at Lake Tahoe since the Bi-State Compact was created in 1969, our two states’ dedication to the resource remain unwavering,” Sandoval said. “I look forward to working with Governor Brown on updating the Regional Plan.”

TRPA was created as a regional agency because the Lake Tahoe watershed crosses a number of state and local political boundaries. The Governing Board contains seven members from California, seven from Nevada and one non-voting Presidential appointee.

The 20-year Regional Plan that the Board is charged with supporting has not been updated since 1987 and is now four years overdue.

By personally attending the Tahoe Summit and bringing top officials from both states to the same table, Gov. Brown and Gov. Sandoval are making Lake Tahoe a top priority and seeking a new area of cooperation on issues affecting the lake.