Apparently Governor Jerry Brown, in a speech yesterday, was once again lamenting that he is having trouble getting Republicans to support his public policy agenda. Never mind the fact that the center-piece of his “ask” of Republicans was a massive (vastly so) increase in the state’s income, sales and car taxes.
But my attention was particularly drawn to this statement, appearing in the New York Times…
"The Guy Who Does The FlashReport" (age 8) and Gov. Brown in 1976
“They are afraid that letting the people vote on a tax extension that, in a mailer, can be stigmatized as a vote for taxes. Four people control the Republican Party. Jon Coupal, who works for Howard Jarvis; Grover Norquist; the Ken and John talk show; the guy who does the Flash Report. Any two of those can stop any bill in the Legislature where Republicans are needed. They basically work for them. They are like, when I was growing up, the Catholic Church had something called the Legion of Decency. The Legion of Decency rated the films. And if you got it condemned you couldn’t go to the movie, or it was a moral sin.”
Now that this is making the rounds on the internet, I am being ferociously teased about my need to work on “Name ID” with the Governor (some of my “friends” are even harassing me in public. Oh well, didn’t Ronald Reagan say something about getting a lot more done if you don’t care about who gets the credit?
Besides, I’m not sure my mom would be all that excited about her Jewish son being compared to some society within the Catholic Church! ;-)
Speaking of my mom, she sent along this photo of me with then-Governor Jerry Brown in September of 1976 (pretty sure that’s Senator Alan Cranston in the background). Since the Governor and I “go back” 35 years, it’s not likely he’ll start using my name anytime soon. But one can always hope…
Of course, the real power brokers pulling the string aren’t Republican, and they aren’t in the private sector. It’s the public employee union labor bosses like Joe Nunez of the California Teachers Association and David Kieffer of the SEIU…
September 21st, 2011 at 2:20 pm
I had that same shirt, although in a bigger size. I was 19 at that time. No hat though.
September 21st, 2011 at 7:46 pm
@ Jon
You are a very powerful Dude ! (according to Moonbeam LOLLL !!! )
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:14 am
Suggested photo caption…. “Get away from me, Kid, you bother me.”
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:36 am
Fashion Check, please: Blue hat doesn’t coordinate with the yellow shirt! :)
September 22nd, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Hopefully you no longer look up to him, which you apparently are in this photo.
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:01 am
Scandal….we need to call Jerry Springer in to do a DNA test of Jerry and Jon! “I am your father, Luke”!