A cautious Gov. Jerry Brown delivered his state of the state address, urging fiscal restraint and prudence in the face of an economic downturn that is certain to come -- sometime.
From the Bee's David Siders: "Brown took credit for raising the minimum wage, expanding health care coverage and increasing funding for schools. But he pointedly offered no new policy proposals, casting an agenda focused on “how we pay for the commitments we already have.”
"The address came amid turmoil in the United States stock market, with fears about the Chinese economy and the plummeting price of oil."
"Brown depicted the world as “profoundly uncertain” and California’s budget, which relies heavily on income tax revenue, as especially volatile."
To one observer, the governor's speech was a departure from the Brown of the past -- conservative, earthbound and wallet-driven.
From the LAT's Cathleen Decker: "There was very little glory in it. His speech seemed grounded in the realization that governing is less about waving the banners of idealism than grinding through to an acceptable finish."
"As he put it, in what may also serve as the operative theory of the current iteration of Jerry Brown: "Ideology and politics stand in the way, but one way or another the roads must be fixed..."
"On Thursday, he sounded like a mayor with a bigger budget, which is exactly what he is if you buy the theory that Brown’s political underpinnings were forever altered by his tenure as mayor of Oakland, a job he won after his last quixotic presidential run. There, he had to deal with the mandates rolling downhill from Washington and Sacramento, neither of which was in the business of lending money if the budget didn’t pencil out."
To another observer, the state of the state address was a no-frills affair without a demand to embrace new ideas -- long a Brown trademark.
From the Bee's Dan Walters: "Oddly, however, his speech didn’t explicitly mention his two pet projects, twin water tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and a north-south bullet train. Both face enormous hurdles – legal, political and, particularly, financial – that must be overcome. Their omission from his speech may indicate that Brown fears they could be gigantic busts that would stain his legacy."
"As the date of Brown’s departure from the governorship draws closer, one wonders whether he will be content to retire to his cabin in Colusa County, or still sees other political roles to play."
"Does the three-time White House hopeful read about Hillary Clinton’s slide and left-winger Bernie Sanders’ surge in their presidential duel and wonder whether party leaders might, in desperation, turn to a popular, seasoned big-state governor who’s just a few years older?"
From Brian Joseph in Capitol Weekly: "For Joyce Miller, one sniff of scented laundry detergent can trigger an asthma attack."
“What happens is I feel like someone is standing on my chest,” says the 57-year-old professor of library science in upstate New York. “It’s almost like a choking feeling – pressure and choking. And then the coughing starts,” she said.
"Miller is among the many Americans sensitive to “fragrance,” the cryptic ingredient added to thousands of products, from cleaning supplies to toiletries. The term encompasses thousands of combinations of chemicals that give consumer goods their pleasant odors. But specific chemicals in any given product rarely are disclosed to consumers."
Federal and state lawmakers, pondering the implications of the huge natural gas leakage at Porter Ranch, want to know why regulators failed to pick up on the problem, which has forced thousands of people from their homes.
From Susan Abrams in the L.A. Daily News; "It was the first time such a hearing has been held since the natural gas leak was discovered at one of the 115 wells in the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility on Oct. 23. Operated by the Southern California Gas Co., the agency had hoped to plug it fast but has said it would take until next month to finish repairs. Meanwhile, methane continues to leak from the 40-year-old well above the Santa Susana Mountains, spewing thousands of tons of gas into the air and sickening residents, mostly those who live in Porter Ranch."
"The hearing drew more than 100 San Fernando Valley residents as well as U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, to Granada Hills Charter High School."
"Sherman, who lives in Porter Ranch, toured the facility on Tuesday and said he was stunned to hear the actual sound of the gas leak. “We have to look at home values,” he testified. “I’ve introduced legislation within the court system to seek an expedited payment for the diminution of home values. “
Misspelling names in a story is something all journalists have done at one time or another under deadline pressure, but how often does it happen in official resolutions? If Matthew A. Henson, a famous African American explorer was still around, we could ask him. But in addition to his other honors, he gets a posthumous version of our recognition of who had the worst week in California, #WorstWeekinCA.
"For the 13th time since 2003, the California Assembly will commemorate February 2016 as Black History Month and is poised — yet again — to misspell the name of African American explorer Matthew A. Henson," wrote Dorothy Mills-Gregg in Capitol Weekly.
"Assembly Concurrent Resolution 118 recognizes that Henson – or, as it calls him, “Hensen” — is a significant historical figure and is among those “noted prominently in the history books of students nationwide,” like Booker T. Washington, Dr. Charles Drew, Jesse Owens and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."
"Henson, who died in 1955, accompanied Robert Peary on a record-breaking trek in 1900 to the farthest point north ever reached by previous explorers. In 1909, in a separate expedition, Peary and Henson reached what they announced was the North Pole, although subsequent scientific studies showed they may have been a few miles short."
"From 2003 through 2011, the Senate and Assembly spelled Henson’s name as “Hansen.”
