Governor Jerry Brown sworn in for a 4th term
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Governor Jerry Brown was sworn in on Monday for a fourth term. He delivered a low-key speech listing his accomplishments and saying that California is on the right track.
Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins officiated the ceremony saying the best thing about Governor Jerry Brown is not the history he’s made, it’s the history he is going to make.
“Now the state budget after a decade of turbulence is finally balanced, more precariously than I would like, but balanced. California has seen more than 1.3 million jobs created in just 4 years, and unemployment has dropped to 7.2%,” said Governor Jerry Brown.
Brown got the legislature to cut spending, and got voters to increase taxes.
There were new initiatives for water, school funding, prisons, public safety, and a rainy day fund, as well as paying down debt.
On education, he reformed school funding to send more money to school districts with foster care, low income and non-English speaking students.
“After years of under funding and even borrowing from our local schools the state has now significantly increased financial support for education,” he said.
California embraced the Affordable Care Act, dramatically increasing its health insurance coverage under the Medi-Cal program.
There are currently 12.2 million enrollees, and increase of more than 50%.
“But it isn’t free. The federal government will temporarily foot much of the bill but new state costs now, and more so in the future will run into the billions” he said.
Oddly enough, what is perhaps Brown’s most controversial initiative is the $68 billion bullet train. The governor continues to preach frugality, but his legacy depends on launching big projects that will be completed.
“We are at a crossroads with big and important new programs now launched, and the budget carefully balanced. The challenge is to build for the future, not steal from it,” he said.
The governor was not specific about how Californians can build for the future, but more details could be revealed when he presents his budget on Friday.
