On Thursday, Monsieur Moonbeam prosed slashing a jarring "$1.4 billion in welfare and child care aid for the destitute "while holding voters liable for $5 billion in education funding with a November tax measure." It's all part of Brown's (impossible?) effort to fill our $9.2 billion general fund deficit. more ›

Gov. Jerry Brown's new measure will ask voters to raise taxes on the wealthy over the next five years. His tax initiative, slated for the November 2012 ballot as soon as Friday, could help put a dent in our state's dwindling economy, "which the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office pegs at $12.8 billion." Or it could upset a lot of extraordinarily powerful people. Or both. more ›

Kamala Harris' real age, Jerry Brown's martini habits and revealing signs of mental illness: Willie reveals a lot of hidden truths about politicians in his writings this week. Plus: his latest fried chicken endorsement. more ›

In a move poised to stave off children looking like white trash, Governor Jerry Brown banned kids from using tanning beds. The legislation, singed over the weekend, makes California the first state to adopt such a ban. Doctors, nurses, American Cancer Society, and people with commonsense backed the bill penned by Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance). more ›

Governor Jerry Brown today signed the controversial California Dream Act, which will make it legal for undocumented immigrant college students to get public financial aid. The Sacto Bee notes: "The California Dream Act allows access to public financial aid, including Cal Grants, for undocumented students who came to the country before turning 16 and attended California high schools. Those students already are eligible for in-state tuition, and Brown in July signed a companion measure affording them access to private financial aid." more ›

Citing anti-freedom of religion sentiment, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill over the weekend blocking any and all circumcision bans in the state of California. Assembly bill 768, penned in response to San Francisco's controversial (and, admittedly, somewhat misguided) failed circumcision ban, will bar citizens from impinging upon Jewish and Muslim rituals involving foreskin snipping -- religious acts that some have decried as male genitalia mutilation. more ›

California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation today that would require state schools in include gay history in the curriculum. "The legislation, authored by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, was approved in the Legislature along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The governor's office announced this morning that Brown had signed the bill," reports Sacramento Bee. This would include queer studies, if you will, into social sciences along with education about "disabilities and members of other cultural groups." more ›

The state budget that no one seems particularly pleased with got Jerry Brown's John Hancock on it earlier this afternoon —but not before the governor got a chance to spill some red ink by vetoing several line items adding up to another $23.8 million in cuts to the general fund. more ›

Short Answer: Yes, but nobody's happy about it. Long Answer: Democrats in the state legislature sent Jerry Brown a budget plan that closed the $9.6 billion gap last night, but it still hinges on $4 billion in revenue that may or may not come through. The plan was passed on majority-vote authority by the Democrats after a couple senators tried to hold out for a deal that didn't cut redevelopment agencies. When faced with the prospect of losing more money from their own pockets, the Calicrats pushed the deal through to Gov. Brown a few hours before midnight last night. more ›

Governor Jerry Brown released a revised version of his budget plan this week, and guess what? We're not doing so bad! Instead of the $25-billion-and-change deficit we had at the beginning of the year, we're now looking at a $9.6 billion shortfall. Turns out that bump in tax revenue was actually closer to $6.6 billion rather than the $2 billion originally reported. According to the State Finance Department, that revenue came mostly from the personal income taxes of upper-income Californians. So the next time you see an upper-income Californian buy them a cup of coffee or something. It's the nice thing to do. They helped put another $3 billion back in the education budget, after all. more ›

After failing to reach a budget deal with Republicans, Governor Jerry Brown unveiled a new tactic today to deal with the Grand Old Party. Namely, hugs. On Tuesday he encouraged state workers to take a Republican to lunch -- which is a good idea since they're prone to dining somewhere fancy -- but today Brown "asked the California Hospital Association and a group of law enforcement officials to hug them." more ›

Well, we knew this was coming: Jerry Brown slashed somewhere between $7 billion and $10.8 billion* worth of funds from the state budget today, the Chronicle reports from Sacramento. That leaves another $12 billion or so the state will need to make up from additional cuts if Brown's $14 billion tax plan isn't passed by voters in June. Of course, before any taxes are put before the people, Brown will need to pick up some more GOP support in both the Assembly and the Senate to get it on the ballot. more ›

We cannot afford to have the elimination of redevelopment without having language in the governor's proposal that protects our very valuable projects. more ›

Outside Governor Jerry Brown's office in San Francisco today, a union of California community college teachers protested Brown's proposed $10 per unit (or $300 per year) tuition fee hike. That total comes to around this many packages of Top Ramen, a vile/cherished college student pantry staple. more ›

The Chronicle dug in to a 23-page report from the Fair Political Practices Commission that discloses roughly how much money in stocks and holdings our government officials have and shocker: Gavin Newsom is loaded. Jerry Brown, on the other hand, not so much. But enumerating Governor Brown and Lite Gov Gavin's financial holdings is pretty mundane. More exciting than learning Anne Gust Brown owns up to $1 million stock in Jack in the Box is diving in to the part where they have to disclose all the gifts they received from foreign dignitaries and such. more ›

The fight over redevelopment in California is still far from finished, but Democratic lawmakers on a key state legislative committee took a step that could hurry the death knell along yesterday. The conference committee voted to approve the governor's proposed budget that cuts Adult Day Care, limits doctor's visits for the poor, and kills redevelopment agencies in cities across the state. They took the added step of sending the budget along for a vote by the full Legislature, which could happen as early as Wednesday, months ahead of schedule. The plan also include $14 billion in new taxes. more ›

"The California Report" on KQED today takes on the subject of redevelopment and Jerry Brown's plan to eradicate hundreds of redevelopment agencies in the state. We've already wondered if the cuts are going to stand, or if this is not just politicking on Brown's part in order to reign in a program that has gotten a bit out of hand, or strayed from its purpose. The argument is that redevelopment has become a too enormous and ill-defined funnel for tax dollars, many of which are just going to to development (of stadiums, say) and not toward eradication of blight. more ›

For his third executive order since taking office in January, Governor Jerry Brown has ordered all state agencies to "freeze hiring" in an effort to reduce further spending. "We have a $25 billion deficit, and we must do everything possible to save money and make government leaner and more efficient," Brown said in a statement. more ›

We know most of you are probably not on the edge of your seats waiting to see how Jerry Brown's threats to kill redevelopment in California shake out, but we thought we'd keep reporting on the issue because we think it's important, and because Jerry's banking on voters not really caring either way because they don't understand it. Redevelopment has become a political pawn, something beloved by mayors and city economic development departments but not often understood by the public, and occasionally misused by cities and occasionally corrupt city officials. more ›

Today, a reporter from the Western Nevada County Union (where ever that is) uncovered a quirky, self-published photobook from way back in 1992 titled, 1-800-Call-Jerry - A Hilarious Inside Look at Jerry Brown on the Campaign Trail(s). Compiled from photos taken by San Francisco native and former photographer for the Democratic Party Peter Stein, the book lampoons Jerry Brown with a delightful DIY-ethic not seen since - well, since the 90s. more ›

Another line item getting nixed in Jerry Brown's proposed budget is the state's Division of Juvenile Justice, potentially saving the state some $242 million but potentially costing some pain at the county level, where the worst offending juvenile inmates will now have to be sent. Some feel counties can and should do a better job rehabilitating juveniles, given that the state system is broken, with just four broken down buildings, and afflicted with an entrenched gang culture. more ›

As we mentioned last week, redevelopment funds looked to be on the chopping block in Jerry Brown's budget, and it was. The governor is looking to save $2.7 billion by cuttting off any tax revenue earmarked for redevelopment and not already promised or committed to a bond. Redevelopment agencies statewide are crying onto their spreadsheets today, and it remains unclear to many which projects will be impacted. The Chron mentions Oakland's hope for a new A's ballpark and the planned MacArthur BART transit village as possibly dead in the water, as well as affordable housing on former freeway parcels in S.F., which we assume are those narrow lots along Octavia. Any hope of reviving the the Mid-Market Redevelopment Plan also looks gone. more ›

"What I propose will be painful," Governor Jerry Brown said to reporters at the Capitol after unveiling a budget proposal that, among other things, will include an 8 percent to 10 percent cut in state worker pay. Brown, according to reports, wants to save "$308 million for a 10 percent reduction in take-home pay for state employees not currently covered under collective bargaining agreements." more ›

No doubt, Jerry Brown's got big problems to work out in Sacramento to deal with the state's $28 billion dollar deficit. But word on the street is that he's contemplating ending redevelopment, the economic and property development engine that's played a huge role in revitalizing California cities over the last several decades. As the Mercury News reports, Governor Brown may be making an announcement as early as Monday that he'll be raiding redevelopment in order to cover shortfalls in education budgets statewide, something that is sure to be putting many real estate industry professionals and city employees on edge. About $5.5 billion in annual property tax revenue is currently diverted to redevelopment, and this promise of annual funding is used to issue bonds to fund construction projects. more ›

Looking to distance himself from the (disgraceful?) Schwarzenegger regime via a more celebrity-free inauguration, Jerry Brown's swearing-in today as the 39th Governor of California will be an appropriately mellow affair. Today's 11 a.m. ceremony will feature minimal pomp and circumstance like free hot dogs, coffee, and a few friends and family. (Side note: thank God we no longer have to search for the correct spelling of Schwarzenegger every single day.) Unlike his previous two terms during the state's halcyon Boogie Nights-esque era, Brown will face a different California. more ›

Confronting a gargantuan budget deficit, Governor-elect Jerry Brown just made his first appointments before heading into office in January. "Brown today announced his first two appointments, retaining Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's finance director, Ana Matosantos, and naming a former appointee secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency," reports Sacto Bee. "Diana Dooley, president of the California Children's Hospital Association, was Brown's legislative secretary and special assistant when he was first governor." [Sacto Bee] more ›

So the poll results have been coming in since about 8:30 or so, and even though the California Results page is has been down pretty much the whole time, we can say one thing for sure: Wolf Blitzer and that guy who is not Anderson Cooper are the only commentators on television more grating than Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. more ›

According to a Field Poll released today, Democrat Jerry Brown has a strong "double-digit" lead over his Republican opponent, Meg Whitman. "The survey found the former two-term governor leading the former eBay chief executive 49 percent to 39 percent among likely voters," reports KTVU. "It is the third poll released in the past week showing Brown leading a race considered too close to call a month ago." Whitman has spent a record-breaking $142 million of her own money in her first bid for political office. [AP/KTVU] more ›

Speaking of Tuesday's Gubernatorial Debate, Joe Garofoli over at the Chron asks, "Is 'whore' as offensive as the n-word?" while wondering why Jerry Brown won't share his thoughts on the difference between the two. Back in the real world, we're inclined to believe that the less offensive term is the one you don't have to skirt around and abbreviate in polite conversation while prostituting for comments. [SFGate] more ›