My life with Jerry Brown

I am surprised to find that I am grieving a little as today Jerry Brown leaves office and the new governor Gavin Newsom is inaugurated. Here are some highlights of my life with Jerry Brown:

1965--I am four years old at the opening of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, with my grandfather Culver “Nick” Nichols standing next to Jerry’s father Governor Pat Brown.

1974--As a teenage girl in California I was grooving, like much of America to “You’re No Good,” “When Will I be Loved?” and “Different Drum” while I ogled pictures of Jerronstadt--which is what we would have called young handsome California Governor Jerry Brown and huge pop sensation Linda Ronstadt if they had a terrible celebrity couple names back in the 70's.

1976--While everyone else was thinking about Proposition 13 which slashed property taxes and ruined California's public schools, I was out knocking doors for Proposition 15 to end construction of new nuclear power plants, very angry at Jerry for opposing it. It was my first failure for many ballot initiatives that I worked to pass.

1992--I get excited about Jerry's "progressive" (and third) run for President and call his ground-breaking toll free number to pledge money for his campaign.





1993--I allow Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook to pull me quickly into another room to avoid having to encounter Jerry Brown at Ralph Nader's Center for the Responsive Law where he has been hanging out with nothing to do. We are late for a meeting of the single payer health care coalition, at odds with Hillary Clinton's health care plan, and can't afford another long conversation with Jerry. He has grown his hair long is wearing large belt buckles and is just generally a mess. But what do I care, he is done with politics [note: this era is not mentioned on his Wikipedia page].

2011-2013 -- as the health care advocate for the state's largest union of health care workers working to implement Obamacare in California, I grumble, resent, and tussle with the Governor's office. Why does he cut health care benefits in the recession? Why won't he commit to expanding health care benefits for the working poor? Despite the massive access and influence of my union I am in the same room with the governor only twice: at the annual state prayer breakfast and one time in 2012 when I attend a bill signing in Southern California. Fun note: it looks like I am about to kiss then Assemblymember Toni Atkins of San Diego who is now the leader of the California State Senate.

2015--I resent the Governor for claiming to be an environmentalist and continuing to allow fracking. I compare him unfavorably to Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York (of whom I am generally no fan), who banned fracking in 2015.

2015-to the present--as a private citizen not particularly engaged in politics, I have really fallen in love with our crusty, fiscally conservative, moderately liberal governor. I love his stupid latin references, his meandering style, his refusal to do what's expected of him, and his dog, Sutter.

Today--I am sad to see the era of Jerry Brown fade away. He was my governor for 16 years. He was my foil. He was my fool. And he has no idea who I am. No more Jerry Brown in my life?