Brown shows himself to be best candidate
Posted March 3, 2010 at 9:16 pm in Opinion
(Votes: 2; Avg: 1.00) 
Loading ...Jerry Brown has entered the race for California’s governor. Sound familiar? It should; Brown already had this job, 35 years ago.
Yes, the 72-year-old is eligible for social security, but with age comes wisdom. Brown has done much for the Golden State, and given the chance, could do a much better job than current Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has increased California’s spending by $10.2 billion.
There’s no doubt that Brown has significant flaws, especially with regard to his plans for the California prison system. Nevertheless, he remains the most qualified gubernatorial candidate.
Daily Trojan | Victoria Lee
Brown recently served as the mayor of Oakland, where he brought 10,000 new residents to the city and cut the number of serious crimes by more than 30 percent. Currently, he is the attorney general of California, but it seems the gubernatorial job is calling him once more. The next governor will have a lot work cut out for him, and Brown is aware of this.
“Our state is in serious trouble, and the next governor must have the preparation, the knowledge and the know-how to get California working again. That is what I offer, and that’s why I’m declaring my candidacy for governor,” he stated in his press release announcing his candidacy.
It’s true Brown finds a great advantage in his history, especially compared to Republican front-runner Meg Whitman, the former eBay Inc. CEO, who lacks any political experience.
Brown is also a pioneer in the environmental protection corner, and has urged the Obama administration to overturn the Bush-era Environmental Protection Agency’s denial of California’s 30 percent reduction in tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions. Brown even sued Cosco Busan’s owners, operators and pilot after a San Francisco Bay oil spill, on behalf of the California Department of Fish and Game Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
With Brown’s help, in 15 years the state of California will not look like the terrain in Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.
Brown’s service to the state has also included interest in the education system, mandating that each California high school district establish clear standards for graduation and increasing the prominence of math and science studies in California State University and University of California schools. Recently, Brown has also pressured the UC Office of Presidents to find alternative funding sources for the state school systems that have raised tuition fees by 32 percent. When Pat Brown, Jerry Brown’s father, was governor, he established a solid education system for the state. Hopefully, Jerry can do the same.
Although Brown has an impressive résumé, there is still a problem that is concerning about his campaign: his connection with the prison guards union, which has given large donations to the Brown campaign. Brown also opposed Proposition 5: The Non-Violent Offender Rehabilitation Act, which could have cut state costs by $2.5 billion and reduced prison overcrowding.
Instead of continuing support of the prison guards union, perhaps Brown could garner the interest of higher education groups and spend money on students instead of criminals. If the state could produce more educated people who are productive in the economy, there could be fewer people in prison.
When it is time to vote in November, I can’t say that I will fully support Jerry Brown. Our government has enough old men sitting in office. That being said, I would rather have Brown than the former CEO of eBay Inc. as the governor of California.
John Gudenzi is a junior majoring in English.
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This article is tagged: gubernatorial race, jerry brown, meg whitman, proposition 5
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I remember when California was run by Jerry Brown, and it was a thriving state who’s educational system was the envy of the nation……yes I remember that. i doubt seriously any of you were alive when Mr. Brown was the governor. The business person as politician model, failed horribly with George Bush, and I’m an MBA, and career banker. If you want change, change the composition fo the state assembly, Mr. Brown knows what needs to be done. This state used to be #1 in everything, and is now at the bottom of most meaningful measurements. Republican governor AS, who replaced a duly elected governor in a Republican financed coup sponsered by Darrell Issa, a neo con SD politician, has failed miserabley. Another, MBA business type, who accomplished NOTHING as governor……you people need to start paying attention or you’ll get more faliures in the future. The state is in deep trouble. Start with entitlements, out of control immigration, unlawful immigration to boot, unreal educational expectations, crumbling infrastructure, unfriendly business taxation, and small business climate, priorities so out of whack vis a vis sports, entertainment and a host of “soft” issues, that it’ll take years to overturn. The biggest problem facing the state is the upside down state of its “sources and uses”….the people who’ve made all the money and paid all the taxes are leaving the state en masse, and those left pay fewer taxes because they earn less, and many are earning in the “underground economy”. They are collecting from the public instituions while paying little or no taxes. Mr. Brown is smart and experienced enough to attack these issues and work with the assembly. Ms. Whitman would fail just as Mr. Schwarzenegger has……he cannot work with the democratiic controlled assembly…..wake up people…..there are no more free educations, health care, child care, those days are gone. The state needs to build a business friendly climate with a non-business friendly state assembly…..at least Mr. Brown can work with these people, Ms. Whitman cannot, imo………
To the comments above:
John makes interesting arguments both for AND against Jerry Brown- sure, there is some definite left preference, but Mr. Gudenzi makes sure to address the flaws of his candidacy as well. He even makes some of the same arguments that you have presented in your oppositions- Mr. Gudenzi states:
“Although Brown has an impressive résumé, there is still a problem that is concerning about his campaign: his connection with the prison guards union, which has given large donations to the Brown campaign.”
“When it is time to vote in November, I can’t say that I will fully support Jerry Brown. Our government has enough old men sitting in office.”
“There’s no doubt that Brown has significant flaws, especially with regard to his plans for the California prison system”
That doesn’t sound like a die-hard Brown supporter to me. Not only does he point out some of Brown’s flaws, but he makes his own suggestion of how Brown’s platform could be improved:
“Instead of continuing support of the prison guards union, perhaps Brown could garner the interest of higher education groups and spend money on students instead of criminals. If the state could produce more educated people who are productive in the economy, there could be fewer people in prison”
Like with any news source, there are inevitable biases. At least this young writer is mature enough to understand that there are positive and negative aspects of both candidates. He couldn’t have made it any more obvious that, in his own mind, he choses what he believes to be the lesser of two evils. I applaud his effort to take a stance as an intelligent young individual. For those of you that seem to think you are wise beyond his years, if you really want him to listen, it might make more sense to encourage his critical thinking and his writing by simply sharing your knowledge and presenting intellectual points instead of berating his work and character.
Bravo, young John.
John for a young man you have made some decent arguments but they are reflective of what Jerry Brown is touting as his campaign platform ie experience equals better for California. Well we have had experienced politicians running this state and they have run it to the ground. (the governor does not count since he has a democratic majority in both the house and the senate and as such has been neutered). The excessive spending, excessive entitlements, the overrun prisons have got to end. The state government and the unions are the highest paid in the nation. retirement benefits are outrageous. The environmental efforts you claim as a positive for JB is costing this state jobs and BTW it is based on research done by a person who claimed to have a PhD was a lie. yet they continue with pushing that legislation with JB’s blessing. Meg Whitman ran a successful business. She knows you cannot spend what you do not have. That is not how a business is run – it would soon be bankrupt just like California. So wake up to reality John . We the people who actually pay for all of the entitlements are fed up of politicians.
Wow, last time I checked Gudenzi was allowed to voice his opinion and not be attacked for it. You may disagree, but that doesn’t give you the right to belittle him nor his choices. This is an opinion piece people, he was stating how he felt and explaining why. Maybe you should all calmly do the same and have a discussion instead jumping all over the man.
Stephanie, we have the same rights as you or anyone else. Humor is a powerful teaching tool, and is covered under the freedom of speech. You have the right to respond with ideas of your own, but you’re not going to convince anyone by telling us what rights we do and don’t have.
Could have used another graph.
and also why the CEO of eBay is unqualified, since your argument is that Brown isn’t the best, but just better than the other candidate.
Great, at a time like this, just what we need is somebody to impose more environmental activist regulation, sue California’s job-creating businesses, and vote for spending increases to fatten the public sector unions. Boy, Mr. Gudenzi, you make a compelling case… I shall certainly vote as you instruct.
John, I have great fear for the future if you are an example of the “critical thinking” skills soon to graduate from USC. Of course, you’re an English major, so you’re not really living in the real world. As such, you are under the vastly mistaken impression that someone with lots of experience in “politics” is to be favored over a successful and smart CEO who has shown she knows how to deal with MONEY.
Christopher is right. Jerry Brown already caused enough damage to California. Wake up, young John.
Jerry Brown has done enough to California. Term limits are a vote of no-confidence for politicians like Jerry Brown.. If Mr. Brown does what his reputation reveals, we will be in worse shape after his election.