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As governor of California …

Jerry Brown imposed, proposed or supported new taxes on Californians totaling more than $7 billion. That included a better than $2.5 billion gas tax increase.

GAS TAX

• Brown signed a bill that raised the state gas tax 2-cents-per-gallon. The same bill allowed local county governments to raise their own gas taxes even more than that. ^{1 2}

SALES TAX

• Brown asked the legislature to pass an increase in the sales tax to take another $5 billion from taxpayers. ³

As mayor of Oakland …

Jerry Brown was the leader in efforts to raise taxes and fees on things that affect the lives of normal, everyday people. He asked for massive increases on property, parking, hotel rooms, garbage collection, utilities, phone bills and cable television.

• Brown flexed his mayoral muscle in 2001 to block a 20-percent reduction of taxes on residential utility bills. ⁴
• Brown supported 2001’s “Measure B” to increase property taxes by 64%. It passed. ⁵
• In 2002 Brown proposed raising taxes by more than $63.5 million on hotel rooms, parking, utilities, telephones and cable television. ⁶
• Brown proposed in 2003 to raise fines and fees on parking, parking tickets, garbage collection, street sweeping violations and burglar alarms. ⁷
• Brown also endorsed 2004’s “Measure Y” to create a new parcel tax on property owners of $20 million a year. ⁸
• In 2004, Brown supported a double a parcel tax through “Measure Q.” ⁹
• Not to be outdone by himself, Brown supported “Measure E,” raising property taxes by 58% that same year. It passed. ¹⁰

When he has held an executive position, Jerry Brown’s first instinct is to look to the taxpayers to pay for every solution to every problem or project he finds. That’s what Jerry Brown has done to you.

Throughout his time in four decades in politics, Jerry Brown has gotten hold of taxpayers’ checkbooks and used the proceeds to spend California into oblivion.

As governor of California …

Jerry Brown inherited a California economy that was humming along.  Predictably, it didn’t take Brown long to run the Golden State’s train off the rails.

THE BUDGET

• As governor, Jerry Brown enjoyed a surplus of $4 billion.  ¹
• Four years later as Brown left office, California’s budget stood with a $1 billion deficit. ²
• California’s general fund reserve had fallen from nearly $2 billion down to absolutely nothing.  ³
• State spending skyrocketed under Brown, as the annual budget grew from his first one in 1975 of $11.5 billion to over $25 billion by 1982.  That’s an increase of 119 percent.  ⁴

JOBS

• At the beginning of his second term, the unemployment rate in California was 6.5 percent.  When he was through, it was 11-percent, according to December 1982 statistics.  ⁵
• Exactly 727,062 Californians were out of work in January 1979.  By December 1982, there were 1,358,798 unemployed.  ⁶

As attorney general …

Jerry Brown served as the chief legal officer of California – as he does today – while the state was entering rough economic seas.  However, instead of fiscal prudence, he had other priorities.

• While California was suffering through an $8 billion budget crunch in 2008, Attorney General Brown decided that the right thing to do was to give his state offices a makeover to the tune of $230,000.  ⁷

As mayor of Oakland …

“Critics scold Brown for firing experienced city officials while keeping his longtime political adviser and former loft-mate, Jacques Barzaghi, on the payroll as his assistant at a salary of $89,500. Barzaghi, a stylish, multi-tattooed former member of the French Foreign Legion who acts sometimes as Brown’s armed bodyguard, used to make $126,000 a year as director of the city’s Craft and Cultural Affairs Department. His salary was reduced recently, however, after the city agreed to a $50,000 settlement in a sexual harassment case involving Barzaghi and a female city staff member.”  ⁸

If you work for a living, if you care about where your paycheck goes, then you should really look at Jerry Brown’s track record.  From the evidence assembled over four decades, it’s fairly apparent that Jerry Brown will spare no expense – at your expense.  And that’s what Jerry Brown has done to you.

Jerry Brown has invoked the “Jerry Brown Law” to block release of his documents!

Brown has decided that you do not have the right or ability to access and read the documents related to his two terms as governor.   Because of a change made for him in California law, almost all of Brown’s records were concealed from public view for 50 years – until 2038! – unless he decides it’s okay for you to look at them.  Considering that documents from the President of the United States are concealed for only 12 years – and in some cases only 5 – Brown’s unwillingness to release these papers seem a little odd.

• Little-Known Fact: Governors of California who served from 1974 to 1988 do not have to turn over their official documents to the state.
• Better-Known Fact: Jerry Brown served as governor from 1975 to 1983.
• Introducing: the “Jerry Brown Law”

50 YEARS? REALLY?

• In 1988 Brown’s records were sealed for 50 years – in other words, until 2038.  ¹
• Certain records of past Presidents of the United States are available after five years, but everything not classified or considered privileged are available after twelve years. ²
• Common Sense dictates that the records of former Presidents of the United States contain more sensitive material than governors of states.  ³

CONCEALING/DESTROYING RECORDS

• Brown engaged in a years long battle with the California Secretary of State, arguing that he should have possession of his documents instead of the state archives. ⁴
• The law that governs the 50-year seal of gubernatorial records specifically exempts governors who served from 1974 to 1988.  It allows such governors to transfer the documents to a private institution instead official state archives.  5
• Brown served as governor from 1975 to 1983, which means the exemption applies almost exclusively to him.
• Brown’s records are “under lock and key” at the University of Southern California ⁶
• A task force was created in 2007 to investigate the disappearance or destruction of documents related to Brown’s time as mayor of Oakland.  ⁷
• In Oakland, a computer hard drive was found at City Hall and some inconsequential documents were located in a dumpster, but nothing much of substance was ever recovered.  ⁸

If you want to know what Jerry Brown was up to during his previous eight years as governor, you’re going to be disappointed.  He won’t let you see.  If you think he should release these records, please sign our petition.  If he listens to you, then that’s great.  If not, then that’s what Jerry Brown has done to you.

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