George Skelton column: "Brown is lucky—and needs to be luckier"

[alp227]

Jerry Brown is many things. Here are three: He is cheap. He is lucky. He is a provocateur.

He is a provocateur who sometimes doesn't know when to shut up.

His campaign rival, Meg Whitman, is at least two things: A billionaire and a prevaricator.

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Mix it all up and California has an unappealing race for governor, even if it may keep a few political junkies entertained.

First, Jerry the cheap:

For starters, Democrat Brown has only about a dozen paid employees on his campaign staff as he tries to reach 17 million registered voters in the nation's most populous, most diverse state.

Of course, any major candidate in California must reach those voters mainly through TV ads. But Brown has just begun to run his. By contrast, Republican Whitman has been on the air for a year, spending more than $100 million of her own money.

But that really isn't the proof of Brown's cheapness. It shows his conservatism in hoarding $30 million for the stretch run.

Full article: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap-20100916,0,7181219,full.column

[tularetom]

1. Brown is no progressive

He is definitely cheap. But I have a lot more confidence in his ability to balance the budget and achieve fiscal sanity than I do for somebody who spends $100 million of their own money to get a job that pays $175k per year and spends that money to tell us what a fiscal "conservative" she is.

[mitchtv]

2. he signed the Brown Act(Willie) first day in office

then decriminalized marijuana. I'd say that was progressive especially then. I will vote for him anytime.

[tularetom]

3. Geez I hope I didn't give you the impression I WOULDN'T vote for him

I'm just trying to point out he ain't Governor Moonbeam anymore.

And that may not be a totally bad thing.

Not sure of his position on Prop 19 but it doesn't matter I'll still vote for him.

[mitchtv]

6. NO. I was just being a "loyalist cheerleader " for Jerry

nt

[alp227]

4. Uhh...the Willie Brown Act decrim'd HOMOSEXUALITY not cannabis

"In 1975, Willie Brown authored and lobbied the successful passing of the bill that legalized homosexuality in California, thus earning the strong and lasting support of San Francisco's gay community. During the 1970s, Brown continued to expand his legal practice that was representing several major developers." --Wikipedia article about Willie Brown, who served as an Assemblyman in 1975.

If marijuana were decriminalised in 1975 wouldn't the prison population have been way lower since then????

[mitchtv]

5. we know that

I guess i should have labeled the items 1&2, and yes it was decriminalized for 1 oz or less down to a ticket with a jail option. Remember the big Hollyweed sign on the hillside? sorry for my careless punctuation