Brown's State of the State is short and sweet

Boy, what a difference from last week's State of the Union address - Gov. Jerry Brown spoke for less than 15 minutes, telling lawmakers that "California faces a crisis that is real and unprecedented." As expected, he provided no specifics on his budget plan, other than to reiterate his support for a package of budget cuts and tax extensions. Still no word on what specifically would happen if voters turn down the tax extension idea. Brown also said that kicking the can down the road by not owning an honest budget is "simply out of the question." All told, it was controlled, smart, and occasionally glib.

And a bit odd, such as comparing the unrest in the Middle East with efforts by Republican legislators to block the special election on extending tax cuts. "When democratic ideals and calls for the right to vote are stirring the imagination of young people in Egypt and Tunisia and other parts of the world, we in California can't say now is the time to block a vote of the people," Brown said.

On the special election (via Capitol Alert):

"My plan to rebuild California requires a vote of the people, and frankly, I believe it would be irresponsible to exclude the people from this process," he said later. "They have a right to vote on this plan. This state belongs to all of us, not just those in this chamber. Given the unique nature of the crisis and the serious impact our decisions will have on millions of Californians, whether it's more cuts, extend taxes, the voters deserve to be heard."

Here's a transcript of the speech via KCET.

A sampling of reaction, all of it looking pretty predictable, via Capitol Alert:

Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez: "Governor Brown's state of the state was refreshing in its candor. His budget proposal contains many difficult choices, but his proposal is balanced and is worthy of serious consideration by every member of the Legislature. I think he made a very strong argument today, and I'm hopeful his speech will help us build the consensus we need to move forward in terms of getting our finances under control and making the right investments to create quality jobs in California."

Assemblyman Henry T. Perea, D-Fresno: "Governor Brown has been very frank about the problems facing our state. There are more tough times ahead as we work together to make services more efficient and effective."

Assembly Republican leader Connie Conway: "We must provide essential services, but we must do so with efficiency and frugality. We must cut spending. And we must do it now. The people have made it clear: They don't want to pay higher taxes. Voters have rejected every tax increase on the last two statewide ballots. It's time for Sacramento to finally to listen to the people. Republicans stand united as the only line of defense for California taxpayers. We believe the best solution to help close our deficit is not by raising taxes, but by creating private sector jobs."

Assemblyman Jim Silva, R-Huntington Beach: "Unfortunately, Governor Brown is simply re-hashing old ideas. The people have voted on these very taxes as recently as 2009. The economy has not improved since then and Californians are in no mood to see their taxes raised again. Instead, we need to listen to what the people are saying, which is 'live within your means.' We need to set real priorities and not assume all programs are equal. The state needs to take an honest look at what core functions it can actually provide and then reform or eliminate the remainder."

Edited post