Opinion

When I became governor again — 28 years after my last term ended in 1983 — California was facing a $26.6 billion budget deficit. It was the result of years of failing to match spending with tax revenues as budget gimmicks instead of honest budgeting became the norm.

In January, I proposed a budget that combined deep cuts with a temporary extension of some existing taxes. It was a balanced approach that would have finally closed our budget gap.

We are told, and have come to accept, that the Occupy movement lacks focus, direction and purpose. How can a group be successful without a linear plan and a list of demands? How does camping in a park solve the world’s problems? Onlookers often say that in the last two months, Occupy has yet to accomplish anything. After Thanksgiving, however, I want to offer seven reasons to give thanks for the Occupy movement.

Leave it to Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Legislature to come up with a way to raise $50 million a year from rural homeowners who live in areas served by CalFire with a new state responsibility area fire fee. But here’s the real rub — CalFire won’t spend any of that money actually fighting a wildfire anywhere across this great state of ours. Instead the money goes to fire prevention activities.

Leave it to Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Legislature to come up with a way to raise $50 million a year from rural homeowners who live in areas served by CalFire with a new state responsibility area fire fee. But here’s the real rub — CalFire won’t spend any of that money actually fighting a wildfire anywhere across this great state of ours. Instead the money goes to fire prevention activities.