Brown joins Sacramento union leaders for Proposition 30 pitch
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Gov. Jerry Brown’s campaign tour for Proposition 30 took him to Sacramento on Monday afternoon, where he joined labor leaders in a last-minute push for his tax measure. With polls showing state voters split on the proposal to raise taxes on sales and incomes of more than $250,000, Brown told more than 100 volunteers that momentum was on their side.
During his six-minute speech, with his wife Anne by his side, Brown took a handmade sign from someone in the crowd and held it in front of his face. “You don’t need to see me,” he said. “You just need to see Yes on 30.”
Brown said that during his travels, he has met some voters who say they have already voted against the measure, telling the governor state government needs to make more cuts before raising taxes.
Brown said lawmakers have already made painful reductions, including eliminating 30,000 teaching positions in public schools and thousands of community college classes and raising tuition at public universities. “All these things we’ve cut. Many people don’t know about it,” he said. “We’ve cut enough. Now it’s time to invest.” Brown said his proposal was a simple one. “It’s about asking all of us to give a little bit and those who have done the best to give a little bit more.”
The governor also took aim at an Arizona nonprofit that has funneled $11 million into a campaign committee opposed to Proposition 30, and whose donors remain anonymous. The group revealed Monday that the source of those donations were other similar groups whose financial sources are also unknown.
“There aren’t more than a handful of willful men who are putting up most of the money, but [they] are no match for the aroused citizenry of California that cares about our schools.”
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-- Anthony York in Sacramento