Today’s State of the State speech lasted about 15 minutes. This was actually a speech that regular people would enjoy listening to:
The interesting thing about this speech is that it was clearly not “crafted” by speechwriters. It was Jerry being Jerry, straightforward, open, and to the point.
Summary: he said we need to get the budget straightened out, that we have a great opportunity to really go places as a state if we do this, that he has presented a plan to do this and wants to take the plan to the voters, and if anyone has a better idea please tell us what it is.
One notable thing about the speech was it was entirely about trying to get the Republicans to cooperate with anything at all. Republicans are trying to prevent taking Brown’s plan to the voters, prevent passing anything with any taxes, prevent any budget that allows the government to operate as a government, and prevent … everything.
So Brown spent most of the speech outlining why it is wrong to prevent the public from being allowed to vote. Following are a few notes paraphrasing what he said:
Under our form of government it would be unconscionable to tell the voters they can’t decide.
The state’s Constitution says all political power is inherent in the people.
“When democratic ideals and calls for the right to vote are stirring the imagination of young people in Egypt and Tunisia and other parts of the world, we in California can’t say now is the time to block a vote of the people,”
The only way forward is to go back to the people and seek their guidance.
If you want to block the people’s right to vote, stand up to say block that vote. (No one stood up.)
My plan to rebuild California requires a vote of the people, and frankly, I believe it would be irresponsible to exclude the people from this process. They have a right to vote on this plan. This state belongs to all of us, not just those in this chamber. Given the unique nature of the crisis and the serious impact our decisions will have on millions of Californians, whether it’s more cuts, extend taxes, the voters deserve to be heard.
It’s the best budget I can devise, if any of you have any suggestions on how it can be better please share them with me. No one has offered even one alternative solution.
If we can get our budget in order we are in a good position to take advantage of our assets.
It’s very refreshing to have someone speak clearly, honestly and openly about what California needs to do to get back on track.
Sadly, all the Republicans can do in response is blame. If we were into the blame game, though, we’d simply point out that the mess we’re in today has been created by giving unjustifiable tax credits to big, multi-national corporations in exchange for nothing; allowing deregulation where corporate greed and CEO compensation has replaced responsible stewardship and a 2/3 vote to pass a budget has allowed the Grover Norquist ideology of destroying government to prevail over democratic principles of majority rule.
But why bother with the facts when you can deceive yourselves and the people with trite and untruthful well-developed sound-bites?
Californians deserve better—and deserve the right to vote on whether to extend
these taxes or not.
We’ve finally gotten rid of a governor who thought being governor was a role in a film and replaced him with someone who is willing to tell Californians the truth—whether we like it or not.
And of course, is willing to let the people decide their fate…what we call Democracy!