Jerry Brown for Governor
By Ras H. Siddiqui
Jerry Brown and California voters already have a long history together. Jerry is running for the office of governor again, this time against Republican Meg Whitman. It would not just be a partisan Democratic Party move, but also a wise decision to vote for him.
He has been California’s governor twice before (1975-1983) and knows what it takes to not just survive but also to succeed in this position. And if there was ever a time to have a successful leader in Sacramento, this is it. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is leaving quite a challenge behind (although not of his own making), and Jerry Brown has succeeded before in steering California in the right direction, by taking over from another actor by the name of Ronald Reagan who left the California Governor’s office in 1975.
In his long career in politics, besides being governor, Jerry has been California’s Secretary of State, Mayor of Oakland and is currently California Attorney General.
Those who have lived in California since the mid-1970’s know that Jerry has had a good working relationship with people of color, religious minorities and immigrants. He also has wide appeal amongst mainstream and left leaning Democrats.
Jerry attended UC Berkeley and Yale Law School . He has had courtroom success against big oil companies and was a fiscal conservative while governor (ironically more so than Ronald Regan), and these are the kinds of skills we need again today in California. As governor, he lived in a small rented apartment, and while in office he drove his own car to work every day (not being much of a fan of the perks that went with his office). His environmental concerns for our state and country are also well documented. Locally, he worked well with Caesar Chavez of the United Farm Workers and globally he helped out with people like Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
A short digression here would not be out of place. Governor Schwarzenegger gave it his best effort but the fiscal problems of California had become too complex. He leaves with one of the lowest approval ratings since Gray Davis, the man whom he replaced in the year 2003. And that brings us to this politically motivated recall business. Why was Governor Gray Davis recalled? And why is there a mechanism available for a recall process when nothing unlawful is present? Today, it becomes apparent that the removal of Governor Davis was wrong and should never have taken place.
Jerry’s opponent Meg Whitman is without a doubt a very successful businesswoman. And success in corporate America requires both political acumen and the ability to make a tough decision. But one cannot be totally convinced that corporate America and the State of California are similar beasts. eBay with up to 15000 employees being impacted by a decision cannot be compared with California and its millions of residents. On Whitman’s housekeeper Nicky Diaz, the undocumented employee, one should be able put that issue in the “ignore file” while voting (just like Jerry being targeted for a “Respirator Fit” safety issue by a member of the Sikh community) because it has little if anything to do with the quest to lead California. Illegal immigration is really a federal issue that lawmakers or elected officials in Washington need to address. Neither California nor Arizona can solve it.
Now getting back to the race for California Governor, on November 2 nd voters will be asked to make a decision that could have a lasting impact on the State’s future. A governor who has been there before and already knows how Sacramento works should be the preferred choice. California is in a fiscal bind. What we need is leadership that can identify and carry out “responsible and compassionate” cutbacks without impacting job growth. Both candidates are strong, but Jerry Brown is the one more likely to deliver the leadership that we need today.
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