Jerry Brown: Another commuter governor?

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Gov.-elect Jerry Brown’s comment Wednesday that he will live in Oakland but ‘find someplace to sleep’ in the capital for when he is working around the clock in Sacramento is already ruffling feathers here in the River City.

The Sacramento Bee points out that Brown told its editorial board in September that his plan was to keep his house in the Oakland Hills but move to Sacramento. ‘I will move in here,’ he said at the time. ‘There’s plenty of nice places downtown.’

On Wednesday, he said this: ‘I will live in Oakland, but given the fact that I said I’m going to be working virtually nonstop on the budget, I’m going to have to find someplace to sleep in Sacramento. I may be working all night.’

It is a sensitive issue in this town. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rarely spends the night. For years, he has been flying home to his compound in Brentwood on days he comes to the Capitol. Many days, he doesn’t come into town at all. Critics say his absence has affected his effectiveness.

So how many nights a week does Brown plan to spend at his Sacramento crash pad?

Asked how the new governor would split his time, campaign spokesman Sterling Clifford responded: ‘We haven’t drawn up a calendar for how many nights he spends in Sacramento and Oakland. That comes later in the transition.’

Clifford denied that Brown has been inconsistent. ‘He said today, as he’s said all along, he’s going to live in Sacramento, and he made a compelling argument to keep his house in Oakland. Like a lot of homes in California, it’s not worth what he paid for it.’

-- Michael J. Mishak in Sacramento