Jerry Brown

Jerry Brown (2009)

Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938 in San Francisco , California ) is an American politician of the Democratic Party . He was Governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and again from 2011 to 2019 . Between his terms as governor, he was Mayor of Oakland from 1999 to 2007 and Attorney General of California from 2007 to 2011 . Brown was also Secretary of State in California from 1971 to 1975 .

Previous career

Jerry Brown was born in 1938 to the politician Pat Brown , who was governor of California from 1959 to 1967. The Browns' roots are in Ireland. His other great-grandfather, August Schuckmann, emigrated in 1849 from Wüsten, then Prussia, today a district of Bad Salzuflen. He attended St. Ignatius High School and Santa Clara University . In 1956 he joined the Sacred Heart Novitiate, a Jesuit seminary, with the intention of becoming a Catholic priest. However, Brown left the seminar to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Classics from the University of California, Berkeley (1961). He decided to pursue a legal career and studied among other things at the Law School in Yale , from which he graduated in 1964 with a Juris Doctor (JD). He then spent his time as a trainee lawyer for Mathew Tobriner, California Supreme Court Justice. The second attempt he passed the licensing exam of the California Bar Association and joined the renowned law firm Tuttle & Taylor in Los Angeles.

Jerry Brown has been politically active since the late 1960s. He joined the movement against the Vietnam War . In 1970 he was elected to the California state government as Secretary of State , which is roughly equivalent to a home or state minister. He held this office from January 1971 to January 1975. In this capacity, he filed lawsuits against the large corporations for illegal campaign donations before the California Supreme Court, where he personally represented the prosecution. This made Brown known to a wide public.

Governor of California (1975-1983)

Jerry Brown in 1978

With the help of his father, Brown ran for governorship in the Democratic primary and was just able to win it. He was then elected Governor of California on November 5, 1974 with 50.1 percent of the vote to succeed Ronald Reagan . He took up this position on January 6, 1975. In November 1978 he successfully stood for re-election as governor, with the Californians clearly confirming him in office with 56 percent of the votes cast.

As an avowed opponent of the Vietnam War, he had broad support from the young liberals who dominated the political scene at the time. He decided not to live in the governor's mansion, which was sold in 1983, and preferred a more modest apartment. Instead of an expensive company car, he had a Plymouth chauffeured from the driver's office. He took care of energy savings and initiated the first labor laws for farm workers in the USA, with minorities and women being given preference for new hires. Brown called the first black (Wiley Manuel), first woman (Rose Bird) and first Latino (Cruz Reynoso) to the California Supreme Court. Chief of Staff during the first six years of his tenure was Gray Davis , who himself was elected Governor of California in 1998. During his reign, Brown claimed to be fiscally conservative, which means that he is opposed to deficit spending . Because of this neoliberal attitude, surpluses could be generated in the state budget in the eight years of his government . In 1982 he decided not to run for governor again and consequently left office in January 1983. He was succeeded by the Republican George Deukmejian .

Further political career

From left to right: Jerry Brown, the US Senator and private friend of Brown's Dianne Feinstein and the then Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom , Brown's lieutenant governor since 2011 (2008)

Brown remained politically active even after leaving the office of governor. In November 1982 he applied for a seat in the US Senate for California. However, Brown was clearly beaten in this election by Pete Wilson , a future California governor. Wilson won around 51 percent of the vote, while Brown only won 44 percent. From 1989 to 1991 he was party leader of the California Democrats (Democratic State Chairman) . He was Mayor of Oakland from 1998 to 2007 . Brown then served as Attorney General of California from 2007 to 2011 . Because of his candidacy for governor, he did not stand for re-election for this office in 2010. He was succeeded by his party colleague Kamala Harris .

Presidential candidate

Jerry Brown tried three times unsuccessfully to run for the Democratic Party as a presidential candidate. He first ran for his party's top candidacy in 1976 . However, he was seen as politically inexperienced and had to admit defeat in the primaries Jimmy Carter , who then also won the subsequent election. Four years later, in the 1980 primary , Brown ran again. But although there was considerable resistance within the party to the unpopular Carter, Carter was able to prevail before he was defeated by the Republican Ronald Reagan. Brown made his most promising run for the presidency in the 1992 election . Despite victories in the primary, he had to surrender to the governor of Arkansas and later election winner Bill Clinton after an extremely fierce election campaign .

2010 California gubernatorial election

Brown in a campaign appearance in October 2010

On March 2, 2010, he announced his candidacy for the gubernatorial election in the US West Coast state and on June 8, 2010, with 84.1 percent of the votes cast, he clearly won the Democratic primary . In the gubernatorial election on November 2, 2010 , he was able to defeat Republican Meg Whitman , former CEO of eBay , with a share of 53.8 percent of the vote , for whom only around 40 percent of voters voted. His lead over Whitman was around 1.3 million votes. The incumbent governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was not allowed to run again after two terms. Although Brown has already held the governorship twice, he was not excluded from an application in 2010, as the term limit only came into effect after a referendum in 1990 and previous terms of office are not taken into account.

The main topics of the election campaign were in particular the economic situation in California and the enormous national deficit. Brown presented himself in his election campaign as an experienced politician who was able to solve the fiscal problems of the state while at the same time stimulating the economy. In the gubernatorial campaign of 2010, both Brown and his opponent Whitman were accused of using mud-fighting methods (so-called negative campaigning ).

The previous mayor of San Francisco , Gavin Newsom , was elected lieutenant governor and thus his deputy on the same day as Brown, but in a separate election .

Governor of California again (2011-2019)

Governor Brown with Goodwin Liu , whom he in September 2011 a judge of the Supreme Court of California had appointed

Brown was sworn in on January 3, 2011 in Sacramento , the capital of California, as governor and thus took over the affairs of state of the state. Based on his inaugural age, Brown was the oldest governor in California history at 72. He was also the oldest incumbent governor in the United States in 2019 at the age of 81.

In the sum of his current term of office and the first two terms in office, Brown has replaced Earl Warren (in office from 1943 to 1953) as the longest-serving governor in California since October 2013 . In October 2012, he signed over 12,500 bills, more state legislative resolutions than any other incumbent since the state was founded.

Re-elected in 2014

On February 27, 2014 Brown officially announced that he would run for a fourth and final term in the California gubernatorial election in November 2014. On June 3, the first time found primaries (primary election) instead of the new California Suffrage: There are no longer as before internal party elections were held but coordinated under a single code on all candidates, regardless of their party affiliation. In the actual election, the two most successful candidates in the area code compete against each other, while the remaining applicants are eliminated. Brown secured 54.5 percent of the votes in the primary, leaving all other candidates far behind. Second place went to Republican Neel Kashkari with 19 percent, who beat Republican MP from the California State Assembly , Tim Donnelly , with just under 15 percent. By American standards, the 2014 election campaign was surprisingly little marked by polarization about Brown's previous policy. Neel Kashkari accused Brown of failing in areas such as education and infrastructure, but surveys show that Kashkari is comparatively little known in California. During the election campaign, Brown largely ignored his rival. So he only agreed to a single television duel , which also took place two months before the election on an insignificant broadcast date. Kashkari had proposed several debates in advance. Brown also did not run any election ads, as he was able to lead all surveys with values ​​in the range of 20 percentage points. It was reported in the US media that Brown plans to use the collected funds for election campaign purposes in referendums.

On election day, November 4, 2014, Brown won with exactly 60 percent of the vote, clearly over his challenger, for whom 40 percent of the Californian voters participating in the election voted. In the election of the lieutenant governor held at the same time, his previous deputy, Gavin Newsom, was re-elected. On January 5, 2015, Brown was sworn in for his second (fourth and final) term in the California State Assembly Chamber of the California State Capitol .

Administration

Economic and financial policy

Brown at a campaign rally for the Proposition 30 referendum in October 2012

In his 2010 election campaign, he announced a restructuring of the state budget of California and economic reforms. When it took office, the West Coast state had the worst creditworthiness of any US state and was de facto bankrupt. On June 28, 2012, Brown signed an annual budget with sweeping austerity measures that resulted in California's first balanced state budget in decades. A little earlier, the state legislature , the State Senate and the State Assembly , had agreed on this resolution with the required two-thirds majority (for financial matters). However, the budget was preceded by a violent dispute between the Democrats, who have a majority in both houses, and the opposition Republicans. Brown vetoed a first draft Republican budget that had passed both Houses of Parliament . It was the first time in California history that the governor failed to sign an entire budget.

Parallel to the US presidential election on November 6, 2012, Californian citizens also had the opportunity to vote on temporary tax increases ( California Proposition 30 ), which was ultimately accepted with around 55 percent of the votes cast. In addition to a slight increase in sales tax, higher tax rates for upper incomes (gradually from an annual income of 250,000 US dollars) came into force. The resulting additional income is intended in particular for the education budget. Brown had previously publicly advertised the measure massively. Even before the 2010 election campaign, Brown announced that he would only raise state taxes after a citizen vote. Another referendum on the same day repealed a rule that provided for a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the State Legislature when the budget was passed . Since then, a simple majority of state senators and members of parliament has been sufficient for the annual budget. The tax increases implemented by the referendum will expire automatically in 2018. Although a number of democratic politicians spoke out in favor of an extension at the end of 2014, the governor rejected such a plan in January 2015 until further notice.

As a result of budget consolidation , the referendum Proposition 30 in November 2012, an improving economic situation in California and the associated growing tax revenues, it was possible to generate even small budget surpluses for the 2013 budget. A surplus of $ 850 million was estimated for the following fiscal year. Due to the financial policies of his administration, Brown's public standing in opinion polls about his administration rose significantly. In January 2015, Brown presented a balanced budget with a volume of 113 billion US dollars for the 2015–16 fiscal year. Surprisingly, the opposition Republicans announced their approval, despite accusing the governor of not taking sufficient measures to promote sustainable economic growth. A number of Democratic MPs criticized the budget and called for higher spending on social security. They also want to increase spending on social programs that were cut by Brown's government after the budget crisis in 2011. Brown dismissed this, however, citing the need for a debt-free budget. In May of that year he was able to put the new budget into force with his signature.

Educational policy

According to the California government, state grants for education rose 39 percent during Brown's first term in office (2011-2015). Due to savings in the course of the budget crisis, expenses were cut under Arnold Schwarzenegger. The additional expenditure undertaken under Brown could be financed mainly through the tax increases resulting from the Proposition 30 referendum .

Drought period

Jerry Brown (left) talking to Barack Obama (center left) and California farmers during a drought in February 2014

→ Main article : Drought in California since 2011

Due to a severe drought that has persisted since 2011, a law supported by the governor was passed in 2014, which provides for sometimes severe fines for wasting water by private individuals. In addition, Brown campaigned for a referendum on a comprehensive irrigation concept in California. The project was accepted by the Californian voters in a referendum on November 4, 2014, which took place parallel to the gubernatorial election.

After the water shortage worsened until April 2015, Brown said his government was aiming to reduce California's water consumption by a quarter. Among other things, green areas are to be cultivated with less demanding plants in the future. Green verges in public spaces are also no longer allowed to be watered.

Climate and environmental protection

Governor Brown during a political discussion on climate change in September 2014

Jerry Brown speaks at the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015

On September 30, 2014, Brown signed a law banning plastic bags in California, which also received widespread media coverage beyond the borders of the United States. With the new regulation, plastic bags will no longer be distributed in supermarkets in California from July 2015. From 2016, the ban will also apply to smaller shops that have been given a slightly longer grace period to switch to paper bags. The aim of the ban is a substantial reduction in plastic waste in nature parks and on the state's beaches and in the sea. As part of the signing act, the governor described the law as an important measure in environmental protection and expressed his hope that other US states would also follow the example of California. Brown already spoke out in favor of such a move during a televised duel on September 4 for the upcoming gubernatorial election with his Republican challenger Neel Kashkari . Kashkari and numerous other Republican politicians rejected this. However, since the Democrats have clear majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, the bill could be passed with the votes of the Democratic MPs and State Senators.

As governor, Brown implemented extensive measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well as far-reaching measures against climate change . After California assumed a leadership role in this area within the USA, he continued the policy of his predecessors. In March 2015, Brown hit national headlines when he sharply attacked Republican Senator Ted Cruz , who had recently announced his 2016 presidential nomination, for his climate change denial. During a television interview, the Governor described Cruz as "totally unsuitable" for the White House ; in this context he also accused the senator of ignoring scientific facts for ideological reasons. Cruz had previously reiterated his position that, in his opinion, there was no evidence of man-made climate change, which was met with incomprehension, especially among democratic politicians. At the same time, Brown attacked the Republican parliamentary group leader in the US Senate, Mitch McConnell, for his policies, which are reputed to represent the interests of the coal industry . McConnell had recently written an open letter asking all state governors to cut government regulations on environmental protection in favor of economic interests. Brown described such a request as absurd and immoral. Instead, according to the governor, climate change must be combated more resolutely by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the expansion of renewable energies .

In October 2015, Brown signed a bundle of laws aimed at accelerating the expansion of renewable energies. These should cover 50% of California's energy needs by 2030. To achieve this goal, the responsible authorities should set up programs to promote electricity generation from renewable energies. Measures to increase the energy efficiency of existing buildings are also to follow.

In June 2017, the governor massively criticized the US President Donald Trump's announcement that the US would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on global climate protection. At the same time, he not only announced a continuation and intensification of California's efforts to combat climate change, but also declared his intention to form an alliance for climate protection with other states. These include the likewise democratically governed states of New York , Washington and Virginia . Even the governor of Massachusetts , Charlie Baker , a moderate Republican, joined the coalition.

On climate protection issues, the Brown government also pushed for closer international cooperation with foreign powers or member states. Among other things, he met several times with the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann , where the two heads of government agreed on closer cooperation between California and Baden-Württemberg in climate and environmental protection. In November 2017, Brown spoke to the Baden-Württemberg state parliament during a visit to Germany .

Social policy

Brown advocates greater gun control . During his tenure he signed a number of laws to tighten gun law.

Like his lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom, he advocates the legal recognition of same-sex marriages as well as the right to abortion .

Brown speaks out against the use of the death penalty . Nevertheless, in a public survey in 2012, California citizens rejected the abolition of the death penalty in a very narrow decision. However, on July 16, 2014, Federal Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled that California's death penalty was unconstitutional. Due to the long time that elapsed before the execution, it could not serve as “retaliation or deterrence”. The system is also arbitrary due to the small number of people executed. Thus the death penalty violates the 8th Amendment to the Constitution . The California sentence suspended the death penalty. Brown welcomed the verdict.

On September 22, 2014, Brown signed the so-called Yes Means Yes Law , which obliges every person to obtain the explicit consent of the partner before sexual intercourse . The state government responded to various incidents at California universities and schools, where there had been rape incidents . The law, which was passed by numerous parliamentarians from both parties represented in the legislature, is intended to create a clearer legal framework for such offenses. Universities welcomed the new law, while critics in the media described it as unnecessary.

In September 2015, the State Legislature passed a controversial bill legalizing medical euthanasia in California. If a patient suffers from an incurable disease which, according to medical prognoses, will kill him within six months, doctors are allowed to perform active euthanasia according to the provisions of the draft. Governor Brown signed the bill on October 6, 2015. California followed four states ( Oregon , Montana , Washington and Vermont ) that have already passed similar laws. Religious groups in particular sharply criticized the adoption of the new provisions. Brown, who could have stopped the law with a veto, said after the law was drafted that although he did not know what he would do as a victim, he was sure that the funds provided would "give him comfort"; "And I would not want to deny this right to others".

Health policy

Brown supports the health insurance reform introduced by US President Barack Obama under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act . In California, as in most other democratic states, this concept was expanded under his reign.

Infrastructure

Brown is one of the main supporters of the California High-Speed ​​Rail Project, which will build a high-speed line between Sacramento and San Diego , which will also link the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles . The implementation of the project was already commissioned on November 4, 2008 through a referendum with 9.95 billion US dollars in seed capital. However, there are doubts about these cost calculations; Lieutenant Governor Newsom was also critical of the project. Brown made it clear, however, that he wanted to stick to the construction project in any case, even though the US Congress had already declared that the state alone would have to pay for any additional costs. The governor has repeatedly justified his stance with the advantages that the project brings with it: The implementation of the train route would massively relieve the roads, which primarily benefits the environment. Brown also pointed out the jobs that would be created if the venture were carried out.

Term expires

Brown during an interview at Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum in November 2018

Brown was unable to run again for the 2018 gubernatorial election. In the run-up to the cross-party primary in June 2018, he remained publicly neutral without supporting any of the democratic applicants. Immediately after the primary, he announced his support for his lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom at an election campaign event, who won the election on November 6, 2018 against Republican John H. Cox and was thus elected Brown's successor. Brown's mandate expired on January 7, 2019 with Newsom's swearing-in.

Private life

Anne Gust Brown, Brown's wife and First Lady of California since 2011

Brown was unmarried for a long time and had a relationship with singer Linda Ronstadt in the 1970s . In June 2005, at the age of 67, he married his long-time partner Anne Gust Brown (* 1958), with whom he has lived in Oakland and Sacramento since then. Anne Gust Brown is also on the governor's official advisory board. However, she does this on a voluntary basis . Brown is privately friends with his party colleague, US Senator Dianne Feinstein . Feinstein was also the maid of honor at his wedding , which received a lot of media attention.

Brown's younger sister Kathleen was also involved in California politics for some time. From 1991 to 1995 she held the office of State Treasurer , which roughly corresponds to a Treasury Secretary; In 1994 she was the Democratic candidate for governor, but had to admit defeat to then incumbent Pete Wilson by the Republicans.

On December 12, 2012, it was announced that Brown had been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer . His office said, however, that Brown had a very good chance of recovery and that the governor would not be significantly impeded in the performance of his official duties. Treatment was scheduled for January 2013. On January 8, 2013, it was announced that treatment at a Los Angeles hospital had been successfully completed and that Brown was in good health.

reception

Jerry Brown is mentioned in the song California About Everything by the California political punk band Dead Kennedys . In this piece, singer Jello Biafra portrays Brown as a fascist demagogue who is establishing a dictatorship that is shaped by features of the hippie movement . However, Biafra admitted in interviews from 2002 and 2013 that he was wrong about this assessment of Brown.

Web links

Commons : Jerry Brown  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Wikiquote: Jerry Brown  Quotes

• Jerry Brown in the nndb (English)
• Jerry Brown in the National Governors Association (English)
• George Szpiro: The Jerry Brown Phenomenon: At the height of 76 years. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung , October 31, 2014

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Peter Unfried: California's governor resigns: The green American, the good American . In: The daily newspaper: taz . November 5, 2018, ISSN  0931-9085 ( taz.de [accessed November 22, 2018]).
2. ^ The California Ranch That Takes Jerry Brown Off the Grid . ( nytimes.com [accessed November 23, 2018]).
3. ↑ Election Results - June 8, 2010, Statewide Direct Primary ( Memento June 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (California Secretary of State).
4. ↑ npr.org: Whitman, Brown In The Hot Seat Over Negative Ads, October 27, 2010
5. ↑ Los Angeles Time: Gov. Jerry Brown announces reelection bid , February 27, 2014
6. ^ New York Times: Brown Seeks Fourth Term as Governor of California , February 27, 2014
7. ↑ Los Angeles Times : Gov. Jerry Brown takes easy lead, will face Neel Kashkari in November on June 4th, 2014
8. ↑ Editorial Board: Kashkari flails as campaign goes under. Sacramento Bee, October 14, 2014, accessed November 3, 2014 . 
9. ↑ realclearpolitics.com: California Governor: Jerry Brown vs. Neel Kashkari
10. ^ Governor-Statewide results , California Department of State
11. ↑ California has a balanced budget. Did Gov. Jerry Brown win or lose? in CS-Monitor from June 29, 2011
12. ↑ Los Angeles Times: Jerry Brown signs budget that relies on voter-backed taxes
13. ↑ CBS News: Yes on 30
14. ↑ https://www.scpr.org/news/2015/01/25/49455/fight-over-taxes-looms-between-democrats-gov-jerry/
15. ↑ California Governor's budget has surprise: a surplus ( Memento from February 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) in Yahoo-News from January 10, 2013
16. ^ Businessweek.com: How Jerry Brown Scared California Straight, April 25, 2013
17. ↑ https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/3357354-181/gov-brown-calls-113-billion
18. ↑ Governor Brown is sworn in and delivers inaugural address , Office of the Governor, January 5, 2015
19. ↑ Governor orders to save water , Tagesschau , April 2, 2015
20. ↑ n-tv: California relies on environmental protection: Plastic bags are disappearing from supermarkets
21. ↑ Los Angeles Times: Gov. Brown says he will sign bill that would ban plastic grocery bags dated September 5, 2014
22. ↑ Los Angeles Times: Climate change threatens California and the world, Jerry Brown says May 19, 2014
23. ↑ San Jose Mercury News: Governor Jerry Brown calls for action on climate change, irks protesters over fracking from May 19, 2014
24. ↑ Jerry Brown: Ted Cruz 'absolutely unfit to be running for office' , Politico, March 22, 2015 (English)
25. ↑ California Governor Says Mitch McConnell's Pro-Coal Effort 'Borders On The Immoral' , The HuffingtonPost, March 22, 2015 (English)
26. ↑ Energy transition: California goes ahead , Bayernkurier, October 8, 2015
27. ↑ US Alliance for Climate Protection: Then without Trump , Tagesschau, June 2, 2017
28. ^ Kretschmann meets US Governor Brown , Stuttgarter Zeitung, November 7, 2017
29. ↑ nra-news: Gov. Jerry Brown runs clock on anti-gun-bills
30. ↑ Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown: Counties must comply with gay marriage ruling
31. ↑ Los Angeles Times : Federal judge rules California death penalty is unconstitutional, July 16, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014
32. ↑ California Enacts 'Yes Means Yes' Law, Defining Sexual Consent , NPR, September 29, 2014 (English)
33. ↑ California Legalizes Medical Euthanasia , Süddeutsche Zeitung, October 6, 2015
34. ↑ Controversial US Law: California's Governor Legalizes Medical Euthanasia , Der Spiegel, October 6, 2015
35. ↑ Los Angeles Times: Gov. Jerry Brown signs bills to aid Obamacare implementation, October 1, 2013
36. ↑ Jerry Brown on the issues Compilation of Brown's political positions in numerous subject areas
37. ↑ California High-Speed ​​Rail: It's Happening , The Atlantic, December 14, 2014
38. ↑ Jerry Brown backs fellow Democrat Gavin Newsom for California governor , Press Democrat, June 14, 2018 (English)
39. ^ Office of Governor Brown, First Lady
40. ↑ Oakland's royal wedding / Nearly 600 attend Jerry Brown's nuptials , SF-Gate, June 18, 2005
41. ^ Statement from the Office of the Governor
42. ↑ Calif. governor being treated for early stage prostate cancer in news.msn.com , December 12, 2012
43. ↑ Jerry Brown Cancer Treatments: California Governor Is Rarin To Go ( January 13, 2013 memento in the Internet Archive ) in HuffingPost January 8, 2013
44. ↑ Interview with the Canadian journalist and musician Nardwuar in 2002. Accessed September 12, 2018
45. ↑ Interview with Greg Prato for Songfacts from June 4, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2018