海角大神

Blunt and stingy, Jerry Brown suits California just fine this time around

Jerry Brown grated on many Californians when he was governor three decades ago, but his style seems to fit the state's mood well now, as he 'is making frugal fashionable, finally.'

He dismantled Arnold Schwarzenegger鈥檚 cigar-smoking tent that was ensconced on the Capitol grounds. He took the former Hollywood star鈥檚 giant 鈥�Conan the Barbarian鈥� sword off the wall of the governor鈥檚 office, and replaced the polished walnut boardroom table with a pinewood picnic table.

鈥淚 want people when they come in my office to know they鈥檙e on a hard surface,鈥� he says.

He has stood on a coffee table for news conferences, lives in a former Chevy dealership, walks to work, and not only flies commercial, but coach-class on the state鈥檚 least-expensive airline. And without an entourage.

What鈥檚 up with all this?

Jerry Brown's California: Five big changes from 1975 to 2011

Political analysts say this is just Jerry Brown being Jerry Brown, but that his being more overt about it since taking office Jan. 3 is pure political genius during California鈥檚 giant fiscal crisis.

鈥淭his is vintage Jerry Brown; he has always been cheap ... the blue Plymouth instead of the limo and sleeping on a floor mattress in his first term. But in these days of lean times, voters appreciate his thriftiness even more,鈥� says Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. 鈥淭his is good for Jerry and good for his sales pitch: Everyone needs to sacrifice a little, even him.鈥�

Even though he already won the election over billionaire Meg Whitman, Mr. Brown鈥檚 challenging agenda requires that he continues to win over voters.

The new governor 鈥� he is in office for the second time after serving two terms from 1975 to 1983 鈥� campaigned on 鈥渢urning the state鈥檚 fiscal problems around鈥� and has twice already in major speeches (inaugural and state-of-the-state) called for 鈥渃ourage and sacrifice鈥� and 鈥渓oyalty to the community, to what is larger than our individual needs.鈥�

Now he is in a sprint to see if he can avoid the same yearly budget mess that has kept California in national headlines year after year for decades. He has broadly outlined a three-pronged plan to deal with the state鈥檚 $26.4 billion deficit: legislative spending cuts followed by a special election to extend certain tax rates, and then compose a final budget for the Legislature to pass. Now he and the Legislature need to nail down the specifics.

The Legislature has just three to four weeks to pass their package 鈥� which will demand great compromise with Republicans 鈥� in order for Brown to call a special election in June.

鈥淗is appeal [in speeches] that we are all Californians is having an effect. His ethos is reassuring because this has been his approach all of his life,鈥� says Barbara O鈥機onnor, director of the Institute for Study of Politics and Media at California State University in Sacramento. She says voters are paying attention to his style for the first time in years.

鈥淛erry is making frugal fashionable, finally. He tried in the '80s but was only really popular with the young and eco friendly,鈥� says Ms. O鈥機onnor. 鈥淣ow he is the icon of the post-Madoff populace. It will only help him to continue to walk the walk in addition to talk the talk. People want a politician they can trust.鈥�

Other experts say Brown鈥檚 peculiar brand of folksy, populist politics is resonating strongly now at least in part because times have changed since he was first governor.

鈥淢any of Brown鈥檚 wild-eyed ideas then are mainstream now 鈥� like car pool lanes for California鈥檚 clogged freeways, green energy and environmental proposals before 鈥榞reen鈥� was cool,鈥� says Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, senior fellow at the School of Policy, Planning and Development at USC. 鈥淏rown鈥檚 once-eccentric philosophy of governance 鈥� 鈥楽mall is Beautiful鈥� 鈥� reverberates loudly today as voters reject Big Government.鈥�

Ms. Jeffe and others say that Brown鈥檚 鈥渆ra of limits鈥� mantra from his first term clashed with California鈥檚 self-styled exceptionalism then.

鈥淣ow, Brown鈥檚 insistence that 鈥榗hoices have to be made and difficult decisions taken鈥� is in line with inaugural addresses by governors across the nation.鈥�

Some analysts say that Brown鈥檚 frankness is a potential liability 鈥� as when he made his handlers wince during gubernatorial debates with Meg Whitman, admitting to 鈥渃losing down the bars of Sacramento鈥� in his first term.

But his frankness seems to working for him at this crucial moment, they say.

鈥淭he new Jerry Brown is both blunter and mellower than the old version,鈥� says Jeffe. 鈥淏ut he retains one quality that may serve him well in addressing California鈥檚 fiscal crisis: He鈥檚 stingy. In his first term, Brown defended himself against liberals鈥� condemnation of his 鈥渇iscal conservatism鈥� by insisting, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not because I鈥檓 conservative. It鈥檚 because I鈥檓 cheap.鈥�

Jerry Brown's California: Five big changes from 1975 to 2011