# How was Jerry Brown as Governor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 24, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597 "2010-03-24T09:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/1 "2010-03-24T09:14:25Z")
I didn’t know which board to put this in, so please move it if needed. In the current gubernatorial race for California, the two main possible candidate (the primaries still have to happen) are Republican Meg Whitman, former president and CEO of EBay, and Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown. Previously, Jerry Brown was governor of California from 1975-83. Anyone on the board in California during that time? How was he as governor? Would you vote for him again? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/2 "2010-03-24T13:47:22Z")
[Not too good](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quLqEu4mUOU), according to the Dead Kennedys… ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/3 "2010-03-24T15:35:46Z")
He was quite liberal, but at the same time very frugal. For instance, he opposed Proposition 13, and was very strong on the environment, but the state never increased taxes under his administration. He was called “governor moonbeam” because of his idea to launch a state-owned satellite. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/4 "2010-03-24T15:55:32Z")
Loved him. Honest and intelligent. Wouldn’t hesitate to vote for him again. . ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/5 "2010-03-24T17:02:51Z")
A decent Wiki overview: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry\_Brown#Governorship](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Brown#Governorship) I just want to know, if he wins, will he start dating Linda Ronstadt again, or find a younger waifish pop star? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/6 "2010-03-24T17:15:56Z")
Since the answer to this is necessarily political, it is probably better suited to GD than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/7 "2010-03-24T18:15:40Z")
He didn’t electrify the voters once in office. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/8 "2010-03-24T19:03:56Z")
I’ll be voting for him, given that the alternative is another Schwarzenegger style newbie, Meg Whitman, who has no previous political experience. Meg, in addition to not being in politics before, has a history of not voting. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/9 "2010-03-25T00:51:14Z")
I worked for San Jose State first time he ran. He screwed the state worker. He was a joke. My wife likes to give me a bad time because I voted for him. The govnor moonbeam lable was a put down used both by the Dems and the Reps. To the rest of the nation Callifornia was a joke because of our choice of gov. He moved from Southern Calif to Oakland to run for mayor. Oakland was in serious trouble when he was elected and after 8 years of his improvements appears to be in more trouble. oops. oh yes they did get back the Raiders. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/10 "2010-03-25T01:51:06Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > To the rest of the nation Callifornia was a joke because of our choice of gov. And now? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/11 "2010-03-25T03:04:03Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > I worked for San Jose State first time he ran. He screwed the state worker. He was a joke. What did he do to screw state workers? And I’m still trying to understand what made him such a joke. Was it environmentalism? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/12 "2010-03-25T04:55:33Z")
I’m not a Californian, but he had an image of being kinda flaky and out-there and liberal-trendy, and just not a serious person. Perhaps unfair, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/13 "2010-03-25T05:02:07Z")
State didn’t fall into the ocean. Still, anything beats having a 'pubbie in the office again. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/14 "2010-03-25T05:04:20Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > He was called “governor moonbeam” because of his idea to launch a state-owned satellite. Why was that a bad idea? Comsat, DirecTV, Intelsat, SkyNet, etc. seem to be making healthy profits from the business. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/15 "2010-03-25T05:46:55Z")
Oh, how soon people forget. The man was opposed to Prop 13. I don’t think there’s anything else that needs to be said. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/16 "2010-03-25T05:46:57Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > What did he do to screw state workers? > > And I’m still trying to understand what made him such a joke. Was it environmentalism? Through the lack of pay raises to ballance the budget, after running on the platform the he would not ballance the budget with state employees pay. State employees pay was way behind private industry. When I left the state and went back to private industry I took a job with less responsibalitys ( maintaining one building instead of 3 or 4) and my pay went from around $8.40/ hr to $12.60. Jerry Brown kept comming up with some of the strangest things. I can not remember them just the “he said what, I do not believe it?” being asked in the shop often. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/17 "2010-03-25T05:49:11Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I’m not a Californian, but he had an image of being kinda flaky and out-there and liberal-trendy, and just not a serious person. Perhaps unfair, but there it is. This is a correct way of putting it. I don’t think it was unfair. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/18 "2010-03-25T05:52:35Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > Oh, how soon people forget. > > The man was opposed to Prop 13. I don’t think there’s anything else that needs to be said. Prop. 13? That bill of goods that’s directly responsible for the fiscal mess we find ourselves in today? Get me my absentee ballot. I’m voting for him RIGHT NOW. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/19 "2010-03-25T06:40:27Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Prop. 13? That bill of goods that’s directly responsible for the fiscal mess we find ourselves in today? > > Get me my absentee ballot. I’m voting for him RIGHT NOW. Thanks to Prop 13 I still own my house. With out Prop 13 I would guess the taxes on my home would be around $20,000 per year. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597/20 "2010-03-25T16:03:54Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Why was that a bad idea? > > Comsat, DirecTV, Intelsat, SkyNet, etc. seem to be making healthy profits from the business. I didn’t say it was a bad idea. But in the 70s it certainly was way ahead of its time, and caused him to be ridiculed by people who were not such advanced thinkers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-jerry-brown-as-governor/533597.md?page=2)