"It's Clear That We've Just Lived Through the Decade That Rescued California's State Budget"

"Tax increases were part of that process. Brown convinced voters in 2012 to approve Proposition 30, raising income taxes on the state's wealthiest taxpayers for seven years and sales taxes on everyone for four years. A coalition of his political allies led by teachers unions went back to voters in 2016 with Proposition 55, extending the higher tax bracket rates through 2030."

John Myers at the Los Angeles Times writes about the California "government rags-to-riches story."

"He Really Believes in California"

"It is no exaggeration to say that Brown’s tenure as governor of the Golden State—two disparate tours, separated by nearly 30 years, four terms and 16 years in all—bookends virtually the entire modern history of California. He is both the youngest and oldest man in modern times to preside over his state, and five years ago he surpassed Earl Warren's tenure as the longest-serving California governor. He leaves office next month, at 80, at the top of his game, California's once-depleted coffers bursting with surplus, his flaky youthful reputation as 'Governor Moonbeam' long since supplanted by his stature as perhaps the most successful politician in contemporary America."

Todd S. Purdam at The Atlantic assesses Jerry Brown.

Joe Garofoli at the San Francisco Chronicle writes that "Proposition 13 is no longer off-limits."

And Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo says goodbye.

"The Future Ex-Governor of California"

"Although Newsom is prepared to answer any question, he sometimes has trouble answering your question. When asked to name the biggest issue facing Fresno, Newsom spoke rapidly, in his hoarsely resonant baritone. 'Affordability,' he said. “I mean, it's the issue—cost of living, housing, it's the No. 1 issue, issues of childcare for your family, issues of education, cost of education, access.' The way he punches certain words gives his speech the inexhaustible quality of a sea chantey. 'And the perennial issue—I was just down in Bakersfield—the issue of air quality, issue of health, and the unique health disparities that exist out there, the issues of primary-care physicians, access to quality care, affordability of quality health care, all those issues have to be tackled. And, with all due respect, while our economy is growing—4.2-per-cent unemployment rate, twenty-four consecutive months of job creation—people don't live in the aggregate, not everybody's feeling that recovery, and we've got to deal with the issue of income and wealth disparity.'"

Tad Friend profiles Gavin Newsom in The New Yorker.

"A Man Furious With a State That Seems Invulnerable to Him"

"Trump credits environmental deregulation and cutting taxes for the rich for the humming American economy, and yet Jerry Brown's agenda, which almost perfectly opposes Trump's, has accompanied even better growth: 'California's 4.9 percent increase in GDP last year was more than twice the gain for the U.S. and enabled the state's jobless rate to slide to 4.2 percent, the lowest on record since such data was compiled in 1976.' And the state has done it while leading on policies meant to combat climate change."

Lili Loofbourow at Slate writes that "[t]he world's fifth-largest economy is succeeding wildly in defiance of Trump's every prescription."

And she cites Matthew A. Winker's Bloomberg article.

"We Know the Trump Administration Is Full of Liars"

"On March 13th, in San Diego, Trump, accompanied by Border Patrol agents, said that Brown 'has done a very poor job running California. They have the highest taxes in the United States. The place is totally out of control. You have sanctuary cities where you have criminals.' Brown replied on the President’s favorite platform: 'Thanks for the shout-out, @realDonaldTrump. But bridges are still better than walls. And California remains the 6th largest economy in the world and the most prosperous state in America. #Facts.'"

Connie Bruck in The New Yorker visits Jerry Brown, as he begins his final year as governor of California.

"You Can Kiss Much of It Goodbye"

"Put it all together, and the prospect is for a dramatic change in the mix of California produce and overall output. The UC paper foresees a decline of more than 40% in avocado yields, and as much as 20% in almonds, table grapes, oranges and walnuts. (Wine grape yields will be generally unaffected, but their quality might be compromised.)
"Disruption is already evident with some crops in some regions, the paper notes—in truth, dealing with natural variations in weather always has been the hallmark of California farming—but that's nothing compared to what lies ahead. 'The increased rate and scale of climate change,' the researchers say, 'is beyond the realm of experience for the agricultural community.'"

Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times discusses the impact climate change will have for California agriculture.

"Simply Put, California Is Prospering"

"Our world, our way of life, our system of governance—all are at immediate and genuine risk. Endless new weapons systems, growing antagonism among nations, the poison in our politics, climate change.
"All of this calls out for courage, for imagination and for generous dialogue. In recent days, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in cities across America to participate in the Women's March. At the same time, activists championed the cause in our nation's capital of those young people we call the Dreamers. In all this, California was in the forefront, showing the way.
"But there is much more to do. Much more to do. All of us—whatever our party or philosophy—have a role to play in defending and advancing our democracy."

The Los Angeles Times transcribes Jerry Brown's sixteenth, and final, State of the State Address.

California State of Mind

Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic interviews L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Bill Whitaker on 60 Minutes interviews California Governor Jerry Brown.

"It's an Opportunity for the State of California to Take Up the Slack"

"'Since the two countries established diplomatic ties, China-U.S. relations have weathered various tests and always moved forward, bringing huge benefits to both peoples,' Xi said. 'Bilateral relations also contributed a lot to peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.' Bilateral, in this case, with a non-national government."

James West at The New Republic calls Gov. Jerry Brown America's "New Climate Commander-in-Chief."

"The Golden State's Experiment with Direct Democracy Has Imploded"

"It's supremely easy to certify measures for the California ballot: 365,880 signatures for an initiative and 585,407 for a constitutional amendment, in a state with over 18 million registered voters. A robust signature-gathering industry makes qualifying propositions a matter of raising several million dollars, a barrier for ordinary Californians but child's play for the special interests that rule the process, a perversion of former Governor Hiram Johnson's vision of direct democracy."

David Dayen at The New Republic laments California's overstuffed November ballot.

"It's Not Because I'm Conservative. It's Just Because I'm Cheap"

"In a recent op-ed, close California watcher Joe Mathews wrote that 'Brown's famous skepticism of new programs makes sense if you believe, as Dupuy argues, that man is blind to the consequences of his own progress. Brown's focus on avoiding catastrophes—including his rainy-day fund and his crusade on climate change—reflects Dupuy's "prophet-of-doom" calls.'
"Brown's climate change crusade makes obvious sense when seen through this lens of existential dread. Instead of appealing to the moral rightness of cutting greenhouse emissions, he invokes a horrifying image of a planet ruined by our ignorance. 'Human beings are developing the capacity of unimagined impact,' he says. Here, philosophy meets politics, for by raising the stakes, Brown lowers objections."

Alexander Nazaryan in Newsweek profiles Gov. Jerry Brown.

"But Our Conclusions Are Based on the Facts"

"Monica Lozano, chairwoman of the UC Board of Regents, said the audit was filled with erroneous conclusions. California students have always come first, she said, and the regents will continue expanding access for them. 'There is no doubt the primary focus and responsibility is for California students,' she said.
"Howle, however, said UC officials failed to provide evidence for their key claims. They have not shown, for instance, how they used the $728 million in nonresident tuition for more California students.
"'They never called into question any of the facts.... They just don't like our conclusions,' Howle said."

Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times reports on the release of a state audit regarding out-of-state students at the University of California.

"And Hand-Loomed Persian Rugs Selected by the Wife of Gov. Earl Warren"

"In 1967, Nancy Reagan spearheaded plans to build a new governor's mansion in Carmichael, northeast of downtown Sacramento.
"The 20,000-square-foot house was constructed on a bluff overlooking the American River, but work wasn't finished until after Ronald Reagan left office. His successor, Jerry Brown, then in his early 30s, called it a pretentious 'Taj Mahal' and refused to move in.
"The state auctioned off the Carmichael home in 1982. Proceeds from the sale, plus interest generated over the years, covered the cost of renovating the historic mansion."

Phil Willon and Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times report that Jerry Brown will move into the California Governor's Mansion.

Cadillac Desert

"California is caught between the lessons of its history and the habits of its political economy. Droughts of 10 years duration and longer have been a recurring feature in the region for thousands of years, yet a modern capitalist economy values a given commodity only as much as the price of that commodity. Current pricing structures enrich a handful of interests, but they are ushering the state as a whole toward a parched and perilous future."


As Governor Jerry Brown orders some reductions on water use, Mark Hertsgaard at The Daily Beast explains how thirsty agribusiness avoids restriction.


And David Dayen in Salon criticizes Brown's policies.

"I Will Not Make the Students of California the Default Financiers of Our Colleges and Universities"

"Yes, California feeds on change and great undertakings, but the path of wisdom counsels us to ground ourselves and nurture carefully all that we have started. We must build on rock, not sand, so that when the storms come, our house stands. We are at a crossroads. With big and important new programs now launched and the budget carefully balanced, the challenge is to build for the future, not steal from it, to live within our means and to keep California ever golden and creative, as our forebears have shown and our descendants would expect."


The Los Angeles Times runs the text of Governor Jerry Brown's inaugural address as Brown begins an unprecedented fourth term.

"Democrats Stand Almost No Visible Prospect of Attaining a Government Majority"

"The newly minted Republican leaders are mouthing the requisite platitudes about cooperation. But Mitch McConnell did not become the majority leader by cooperating. His single strategic insight is that voters do not blame Congress for gridlock, they blame the president, and therefore reward the opposition. Eternally optimistic seekers of bipartisanship have clung to the hope that owning all of Congress, not merely half, will force Republicans to 'show they can govern.' This hopeful bit of conventional wisdom rests on the premise that voters are even aware that the GOP is the party controlling Congress. In fact, only about 40 percent of the public even knows which party controls which chamber of Congress, which makes the notion that the Republicans would face a backlash for a lack of success fantastical.
"McConnell's next play is perfectly clear. His interest lies in creating two more years of ugliness and gridlock. He does not want spectacular, high-profile failures that command public attention—no shutdowns, no impeachment. Instead, he wants tedious, enervating stalemate. McConnell needs to drain away any possibility of hope and excitement from government, so that the disengaged Democratic voters remain disengaged in 2016."


Jonathan Chait in New York reacts to the midterm elections.


As does Paul Krugman in The New York Times.


As does Andrew O'Hehir and Thomas Frank in Salon.


As does Josh Marshall in Talking Points Memo.


But in The Nation, Jon Weiner sees good news for Democrats in California.

"The Waterloo of the Far-Right in California"

"Lawsuits kept it from ever being fully implemented, and a federal judge finally ruled it unconstitutional in 1999. It energized a Latino electorate–yes, John Boehner, there are plenty of legal Latino immigrant and Latinos born here–that came out in larger and larger numbers in subsequent elections, overwhelmingly voting Democrat and leading to de facto one-party rule California for the past decade. (The election of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2002 was an anomaly that American can blame on all my cousins who loved him in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.)
"The proposition also galvanized a generation of Latino politicians with long memories, who have effectively created a sanctuary state in California in subsequent years–offering driver's licenses to folks without papers, providing in-state tuition for undocumented college students, officially telling la migra to butt out of state affairs–as penance for the sins of their predecessors. It's these same legislators who crafted the bill that finally, fully repealed Prop 187, portions of which were still officially on the books up despite being unenforceable."


Gustavo Arellano in The Guardian observes the legacy of Proposition 187.

"There Is, I’m Sorry to Say, No Sign of the Promised Catastrophe"

"So what do we learn from the California comeback? Mainly, that you should take anti-government propaganda with large helpings of salt. Tax increases aren't economic suicide; sometimes they’re a useful way to pay for things we need. Government programs, like Obamacare, can work if the people running them want them to work, and if they aren't sabotaged from the right. In other words, California's success is a demonstration that the extremist ideology still dominating much of American politics is nonsense."


Paul Krugman in The New York Times asks, "Has there been any soul-searching among the prophets of California doom, asking why they were so wrong?"

"Triple the Property Tax but End Sales and Income Taxes"

"This state could finally have a tax system that induces businesses to move to California and employ more Californians. That saves our cities and retailers from unfair no-sales-tax Internet competition. That costs the state and its citizens much less to administer. That is fairer to those who need to move. That does not penalize our poorest nor penalize work. And that makes all of us Californians better off."


Ivo Welch in the Los Angeles Times advocates for tax reform.

The Party of Nixon and Reagan and ...

"The traditional wisdom of Republican primaries is that the party should pick the most conservative candidate who can win. It's known as the Buckley Rule, named for conservative columnist William F. Buckley Jr.
"But what if neither candidate can win? The Buckley Rule is silent."


In the LA Weekly, Gene Maddaus describes the fight for the future of the California Republican Party.