Jerry Brown took his share of indefensible positions in his final two terms as governor, but even Republicans acknowledged that he was the last adult in Sacramento—a backstop against the zaniest ideas in the Capitol. In an interview with NPR as he prepared to leave office, he touted his efforts at taming the budget, which provided insight into his mature priorities. He slammed Republicans for only knowing how to say "no," but also chided fellow Democrats, whose "problem is they only know how to say 'yes,' even to harebrained schemes."
I miss his blunt assessments. Brown racked up several notable accomplishments—eliminating tax-devouring and property-rights-destroying redevelopment agencies, solving the state's prison-overcrowding crisis by embracing a clever realignment plan that sent nonviolent prisoners to local jails, and reforming the state's overburdened public-employee pension system. He used his political capital to push through these unpopular, but necessary ideas. Eight years later, he was proven right on all of those signature achievements.
