Comments by Governor Jerry Brown extracted from Mercury News 1/5/11.  "We're going to shift funding to the local level"....Brown told reporters after the meeting. "This will be a complex undertaking to realign jobs, whether foster care, welfare, food stamps or redevelopment. We're going to try to redistribute power in a way that's closest to the people that makes sense. .... a mixture of legislative actions and ballot measures will be required over the next weeks and months to complete a realignment plan...hard political negotiations among often competing interests will be the key...."

"Counties and cities use
redevelopment agencies to funnel property taxes toward rehabilitating commercial strips, building affordable housing, and boosting local businesses and tourism. Eliminating them would free up billions of dollars to solve the state's deficit, and would presumably be a part of the revenues returned to local governments for other services......we do meet certain basic standards.... What standard does the state guarantee, and what authority and discretion do we leave with local school districts, or local counties?"  See the full article for more detail and the specific context. 

Sworn into office, 1/3/11:  "...without any mental reservation."

Posted by Kathy Meeh