A Campaign Message from Jerry Brown

I have had an unusual opportunity to see California State government and its political process up close for a long, long time. I had my first glimpse – in the fifties – when my father ran for attorney general and then for governor, and again when I was governor. It was profoundly different then. The schools were good, the state wasn’t broke, Republicans talked with Democrats and even voted together when it was important to do so.  

The last few years, this has all changed. Acrimony and endless deficits have become the order of the day. And turning it around, especially given the financial meltdown, won’t be easy. But I am trying. I am doing everything I can as your attorney general to make sure that the law is on your side. I sued Countrywide to restructure tens of thousands of mortgages, brought actions against a myriad of scam artists who set up Ponzi schemes or ripped off consumers in various and heartless ways, I sued employers who cheated their workers and vigorously defended California’s environmental laws. Go to Fighting for You for the full story.

I like my current job and truly believe we are getting important things done. Yet, when I see the mess in Sacramento and think about all the people who are suffering as a result, I think seriously about running for governor again. It is rather amazing that the same issues are still front and center: water, energy, prisons, education and, of course, living within our means.

But before I make a final decision, I would like to know if it’s possible to build a large base of supporters from every part of the state and even beyond. Two of the Republican candidates for governor are talking about spending their own wealth on hundred million dollar plus campaigns. To counter this private assault on our democracy, people will have to join together in a grassroots effort by the thousands and then by the tens of thousands. We need to fight back to overcome what will literally be a hostile takeover of the airwaves during the next governor’s campaign.

So would you be willing to join, even at this early date, and donate $25, $50 or $100 to Jerry Brown 2010 and help change the corrosive politics that is destroying our state? Whether I seek re-election as attorney general or the governorship, I intend to do everything I can to turn this state around. But I need your help and your active involvement.

Please forward this e-mail and ask your friends to contribute. Ask them to join our cause, to fundraise, become a supporter on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

This state is desperately in need of creativity and new ideas. The state also needs – just as much and maybe more – the know-how and experience to get this impossible job done.

If you can today, please consider making a contribution of $25, $50, $100 or any amount you are able to give.

I won’t let you down. We can and we will build a movement – of truth, of creativity, of inclusion.