Trinnity
05-21-2010, 05:14 PM
Says getting re-elected was more important
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Willie Brown: Architect Of A Money Meltdown?
Reporting
Pallas Hupé
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS13) ―
He is one of the most recognizable politicians in the state: former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. He helped create the California you live in today but does he take credit for the bad along with the good? His frank answers in a sit-down interview were more than a little surprising.
"I may have been one of the key architects of many of the things that have created a challenge for my successors," Brown admitted during his interview.
Architect may be a fitting word. This is the man who helped draw up the blueprints for the 21st century California government.
Every week he holds court in the same corner booth in a San Francisco restaurant. It's a perfect place to be seen and people watch - with people walking by the open window where Brown sit and is visible from the sidewalk. It is also a place where, on the day of the interview, belly dancers slink around the tables of the intimate but eclectic establishment. Still, the clang of their finger cymbals don't detract from a good game of dice played by Brown and his regular guests.
"That's the best hand we've seen today," says Brown, who undaunted, rolls another round...no longer taking changes with state's money but vying for a cut of the lunch bill.
Eventually, the man who was once one of the most powerful people in the state speaks - and makes some powerful statements about the unforeseen consequences of his political decisions.
"In the world of politics we don't think in these terms," Brown says of the political decisions in the Statehouse. "We think very short-range: how can they be helpful in getting us re-elected. Period."
It's a very bold admission from a man with a deep history here in California. It's been 15 years since Willie Brown left the Statehouse. In that time, the state saw unprecedented growth both in California's businesses and in its housing market. He also oversaw the expansion of the state government and the protection of its employees.
"I had actually participated in moving legislation to reduce the retirement age for teachers and I did it with great pride and I created it in my resume as one of my great achievements."
He also realizes, though, that he helped set up the problems we see today: state IOU's, furlough Fridays, and layoffs on a scale the state has never before had to face.
"Nobody took the time to do the analysis that would have persuaded us we needed to add money to make it work," says Brown.
Before his time, state jobs were almost entry-level, nearly blue collar in their description. Now, those workers are protected civil servants with the same benefits as the private sector. It's a change Brown now believes was short-sighted, even self-serving. He freely admits that he benefitted with a 15 year run as speaker and a long political career. Still, he doesn't believe politicians deserve ALL the blame. He puts some of the blame on us, the voters.
"The public is equally guilty," he says emphatically, "we are equally guilty of being generous, literally to a fault with retirees."
Beyond that he won't commit to any answers about how to fix what's NOT working because he believes that you have to play the hand you're dealt. He's far from apologizing for what he did, either.
"I think politicians should never apologize for making a decision based on new knowledge, superior knowledge, or better ideas."
The biggest challenges he sees? Under-funded education, refusal to raise taxes and a resistance to cut programs in a legislature he believes is hamstrung by term limits. What he sees most threatening of all, though, is what he calls a ticking time bomb: retiree benefits for state workers.
"Job security, zero requirement on the performance side, longevity or seniority for a promotion," counts out Brown speaking about some of the concerns regarding state workers. "So when we said we're going to start making you comparable [to the private sector], we didn't move it all. So it was half done? It was less than a half - less than half!"
When asked what he most regrets about his time in Sacramento?
"Not being as attentive to the long-range implications of some of the policies that I advocated."
Note from Pallas Hupe:
Not having lived in California all my life, I was really looking forward to interviewing former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. When I had the chance for a one-on-one interview, I took the time to ask a lot of questions. Little did I know we'd be sitting in a busy San Francisco cafe, competing with the sounds of sirens and even belly dancers!
Here are many of Brown's candid answers to my questions, covering everything from what he thinks of where the collective bargaining he fought for has left the state of California to the power of unions today. He has definite ideas about what could help balance the state's budget and if he really wields any power now. Willie Brown opens up about why he never ran for national office and admits he has one unfulfilled ambition. Finally, you can hear his take on President Obama's performance in office so far.
Watch video.
Read Pallas' blog on interview.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://cbs13.com/local/willie.brown.interview.2.1704657.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willie Brown: Architect Of A Money Meltdown?
Reporting
Pallas Hupé
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS13) ―
He is one of the most recognizable politicians in the state: former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. He helped create the California you live in today but does he take credit for the bad along with the good? His frank answers in a sit-down interview were more than a little surprising.
"I may have been one of the key architects of many of the things that have created a challenge for my successors," Brown admitted during his interview.
Architect may be a fitting word. This is the man who helped draw up the blueprints for the 21st century California government.
Every week he holds court in the same corner booth in a San Francisco restaurant. It's a perfect place to be seen and people watch - with people walking by the open window where Brown sit and is visible from the sidewalk. It is also a place where, on the day of the interview, belly dancers slink around the tables of the intimate but eclectic establishment. Still, the clang of their finger cymbals don't detract from a good game of dice played by Brown and his regular guests.
"That's the best hand we've seen today," says Brown, who undaunted, rolls another round...no longer taking changes with state's money but vying for a cut of the lunch bill.
Eventually, the man who was once one of the most powerful people in the state speaks - and makes some powerful statements about the unforeseen consequences of his political decisions.
"In the world of politics we don't think in these terms," Brown says of the political decisions in the Statehouse. "We think very short-range: how can they be helpful in getting us re-elected. Period."
It's a very bold admission from a man with a deep history here in California. It's been 15 years since Willie Brown left the Statehouse. In that time, the state saw unprecedented growth both in California's businesses and in its housing market. He also oversaw the expansion of the state government and the protection of its employees.
"I had actually participated in moving legislation to reduce the retirement age for teachers and I did it with great pride and I created it in my resume as one of my great achievements."
He also realizes, though, that he helped set up the problems we see today: state IOU's, furlough Fridays, and layoffs on a scale the state has never before had to face.
"Nobody took the time to do the analysis that would have persuaded us we needed to add money to make it work," says Brown.
Before his time, state jobs were almost entry-level, nearly blue collar in their description. Now, those workers are protected civil servants with the same benefits as the private sector. It's a change Brown now believes was short-sighted, even self-serving. He freely admits that he benefitted with a 15 year run as speaker and a long political career. Still, he doesn't believe politicians deserve ALL the blame. He puts some of the blame on us, the voters.
"The public is equally guilty," he says emphatically, "we are equally guilty of being generous, literally to a fault with retirees."
Beyond that he won't commit to any answers about how to fix what's NOT working because he believes that you have to play the hand you're dealt. He's far from apologizing for what he did, either.
"I think politicians should never apologize for making a decision based on new knowledge, superior knowledge, or better ideas."
The biggest challenges he sees? Under-funded education, refusal to raise taxes and a resistance to cut programs in a legislature he believes is hamstrung by term limits. What he sees most threatening of all, though, is what he calls a ticking time bomb: retiree benefits for state workers.
"Job security, zero requirement on the performance side, longevity or seniority for a promotion," counts out Brown speaking about some of the concerns regarding state workers. "So when we said we're going to start making you comparable [to the private sector], we didn't move it all. So it was half done? It was less than a half - less than half!"
When asked what he most regrets about his time in Sacramento?
"Not being as attentive to the long-range implications of some of the policies that I advocated."
Note from Pallas Hupe:
Not having lived in California all my life, I was really looking forward to interviewing former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. When I had the chance for a one-on-one interview, I took the time to ask a lot of questions. Little did I know we'd be sitting in a busy San Francisco cafe, competing with the sounds of sirens and even belly dancers!
Here are many of Brown's candid answers to my questions, covering everything from what he thinks of where the collective bargaining he fought for has left the state of California to the power of unions today. He has definite ideas about what could help balance the state's budget and if he really wields any power now. Willie Brown opens up about why he never ran for national office and admits he has one unfulfilled ambition. Finally, you can hear his take on President Obama's performance in office so far.
Watch video.
Read Pallas' blog on interview.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://cbs13.com/local/willie.brown.interview.2.1704657.html