California Governor Jerry Brown may be a near-lock to win a record fourth term this fall, but that doesn鈥檛 mean he鈥檚 universally popular with his fellow Democrats. There鈥檚 growing frustration among progressives over what they see as the governor鈥檚 fiscal conservatism and business-friendly views.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to say something very symbolic to our governor right now," shouts a rally leader in front of the Capitol.
Ah yes, symbolism. Jerry Brown loves it 鈥� at his January State of the State address, he passed out playing cards with his dog Sutter saying 鈥淏ark if you don鈥檛 like deficits.鈥�
At a recent Capitol rally, a coalition of progressive groups had its own symbolic gesture for the governor, who wants to set aside California鈥檚 revenue surge in a rainy day fund.
鈥淓veryone got their umbrellas?" the rally leader shouts. "We鈥檙e going to open them all together, and then chant 鈥� ready? It鈥檚 raining now! It鈥檚 raining now!鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 raining now鈥� is the response from liberals inside and outside the Capitol when confronted with Brown鈥檚 budget proposals this year 鈥� particularly his efforts to create a rainy day fund, hold a tight line on new spending and pay down debt.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 like it, period," says Katheryn McMichael-Scott, came up to the Capitol from Oakland. "And I don鈥檛 like what he鈥檚 doing to the seniors. Because we鈥檙e losing a lot of things that we need.鈥�
From CalWORKs to early childhood education, child care to in-home care, the governor has opposed restoring money to 鈥渟afety net鈥� programs that took deep cuts during the recession.
鈥淟ot of ideas around Sacramento 鈥� and throughout the Assembly and Senate, all throughout the state 鈥� to do things," Brown said as he released his updated budget proposal at the Capitol Tuesday. "Well, we have to recognize, we鈥檝e done a lot already and we haven鈥檛 paid for all we鈥檝e already done.鈥�
鈥淚 think there is a level of frustration,鈥� says California Federation of Teachers President Joshua Pechthalt. 鈥淲hile we鈥檙e not in opposition to (a rainy day fund), you can鈥檛 just put money aside for that, to the exclusion of restoring programs that really benefit the neediest Californians.鈥�
Many Democratic lawmakers agree. 鈥淚t is raining cats and dogs for so many who have seen services upon which they and their families depend for their very existence today,鈥� says Senate Budget Committee Chair Mark Leno.
But it鈥檚 not just Brown鈥檚 budgets that have provoked progressives. He's been dogged all year by anti-fracking protesters.
鈥淲e鈥檙e back again and we鈥檙e coming back and we鈥檙e coming back! one shouted at a Capitol rally earlier this year. 鈥淕overnor Brown, listen! Listen to what we鈥檙e saying! No more fracking! No more freaking fracking!鈥�
Protesters even interrupted his speech at the California Democratic Party convention. He鈥檚 also worked to streamline the California Environmental Quality Act to speed up certain development projects. Many environmentalists are not pleased.
鈥淭heir view about Jerry Brown is less enthusiastic than it used to be. That being said, I don鈥檛 think any of them would think to vote for the people that are running against him this round,鈥� says the Sierra Club鈥檚 Kathryn Phillips.
See, as much as progressives might be frustrated with the governor, it鈥檚 not like he faces any political risk. He鈥檚 widely expected to win re-election this fall. So the question for liberals is how to respond.
Labor leader Willie Pelote says Brown clearly deserves another term, but 鈥渢here are things that maybe the governor will push back on, and we will push back as well, that we feel very strongly that the administration and legislature should embrace now. And when that time happens and governor is not willing to work with us on it, we will fight.鈥�
Still, the governor鈥檚 fiscal conservative streak could still come at a cost. Los Angeles community organizer Ariana Alcaraz campaigned for Brown four years ago - but won't this year.
鈥淚 probably would step away from even identifying myself as any political party," Alcaraz says. "Jerry Brown promised to be a Democrat, yet he鈥檚 running on Republican, conservative values.鈥�
Brown has famously compared governing to paddling a canoe: a little to the left, then a little to the right. That philosophy is why he鈥檚 heavily favored to win a record fourth term this fall. But some Californians on the left bank of the river believe their Democratic governor is too far off shore.
