Day 100: Where Are You, Jerry Brown?
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Jerry Brown is making his third run for governor of California. If he wins, he
would become both the oldest and youngest man to serve in the position
(Richie Duchon)
Since March 4, when tens of thousands of students, parents, teachers and workers across the country took to the streets to protest budget cuts in California's designated "Student Day of Action," Neon Tommy has attempted to get ahold of the California gubernatorial candidates for comments on their stance on the state's education system. Both Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman have responded to us.
Jerry Brown finally responded to two of our questions in a press conference June 9th--but his answers spoke to taxes, not education.
We have placed multiple phone calls and sent many e-mails to his campaign manager, Sterling Clifford. But we have yet to receive answers to our four remaining questions.
Read below for updates on our attempt to get a hold of Jerry Brown. You will also find the responses from Poizner and Whitman.
UPDATE DAY 100 12:13 pm: No word from the Brown campaign.
UPDATE DAY 99 4:22 pm: Neon Tommy attended a press conference in Downtown Los Angeles and was finally able to ask two of the questions we've been attempting to ask the Brown campaign. Brown's answers were vague.
Brown said that, if he were governor, he would not raise taxes if the people didn't want him to, regardless of the impact that this may have on public education (here's the full story from today).
"Does anybody know what AB 656 is?" Brown asked the crowd of reporters in response.
We said that it's the California Higher Education Endowment Corporation oil and gas severance tax.
"If you're saying it's a tax, the people are in charge of their own money," he said, echoing his earlier sentiments on taxes.
We left Brown's campaign manager an e-mail and a voicemail today to get answers to our remaining questions.
UPDATE DAY 98 4:20 pm: On June 8--the day of California's primary elections--and 98 days after our initial attempt to get ahold of the Jerry Brown campaign for the candidate's education views, the candidate remained MIA.
UPDATE DAY 97 4:30 pm: We got to speak with Sterling Clifford's voicemail! But alas Sterling himself has not called us back. Our e-mails also remain unanswered.
UPDATE DAY 93 4:09 pm: Called Brown's office yet again, and still have no response.
UPDATE DAY 90 12:32 pm: Spoke with a member of Brown's staff and left a message.
UPDATE DAY 87 3:39 pm: No response from the Brown camp.
UPDATE DAY 86 4:04 pm: For the 86th day in a row, Jerry Brown has remained silent on education. Our spirits might be low, but we are determined to get answers.
UPDATE DAY 84 3:25 pm: We leave another voicemail for Sterling Clifford.
UPDATE DAY 83 6:15 pm: Yet another day has passed without a response from Brown's camp. Our inquiries remain unanswered.
UPDATE DAY 80 5:40 pm: According to a campaign staffer, Brown's campaign manager, Sterling Clifford, had just stepped out a moment before we called. Though we left a message and sent a follow up e-mail, we have yet to hear back.
UPDATE DAY 80 5:40 pm: According to a campaign staffer, Brown's campaign manager, Sterling Clifford, had just stepped out a moment before we called. Though we left a message and sent a follow up e-mail, we have yet to hear back.
UPDATE DAY 79 1:40 pm: To our surprise, Sterling Clifford was in fact in his office today and seconds prior to our call getting forwarded to his office, he was unexpectedly in a meeting.
Foiled again.
We were told our message would be passed on.
UPDATE DAY 78 6:45 pm: A man who answered the campaign office phone said that Sterling Clifford was in a meeting. He said he would personally give Clifford our contact information once the meeting finished.
A few hours later, we called again. This time, a woman answered, and sent us to Clifford's extension. Clifford didn't pick up, so we left a voicemail message.
UPDATE DAY 76 8:20 pm: Have not heard from the Jerry Brown office. Check back tomorrow for updates.
UPDATE DAY 75 5:42 pm: Still no word from Jerry Brown's camp. Sterling Clifford has yet to respond to our inquiries.
UPDATE DAY 72 3:21 pm: Clifford was out of the office yet again today, and it turns out his assistant Kent is only in the office Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (never when we call though, natch).
UPDATE DAY 72 3:21 pm: Clifford was out of the office yet again today, and it turns out his assistant Kent is only in the office Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (never when we call though, natch).
When we explained our daily routine (calling the office daily, e-mailing Clifford and Kent daily) and asked if there were a better way to reach either of them, the woman in Jerry's office replied, "Calling and e-mailing is the best way to get ahold of them."
Anyone for starting a letter-writing campaign? Perhaps Clifford and Kent will be so blown away by our old fashioned antics, they'll be forced to respond--not with the answers to our questions of course. We'd place bets on an autographed picture of Jerry thanking us in advance for our support on Election Day.
UPDATE DAY 71 2:14 pm: Today, we were told by a woman at Jerry Brown's campaign office that Clifford does in fact work in his office, but the reason we can't get a hold of him is because he is "in and out" all day. Her best advice for reaching him: call back.
UPDATE DAY 68 7:38 pm: One more day has passed with radio silence from Jerry Brown and his office. Stay tuned as we try to find more about his stance on education.UPDATE DAY 70 10:32 am: We told a woman at Jerry Brown's campaign office that we've already received responses from the Poizner and Whitman campaigns. "All I can do is leave him a message," she said as she took down our contact information.
UPDATE DAY 67 7:08 pm: Another day down and still no response from Jerry Brown's camp. Why are they still MIA?
UUPDATE DAY 64 5:07 pm: As promised, Whitman spokesman Hector Barajas responded to Neon Tommy's questions by Friday afternoon.
Here were his responses:
1. On March 4, many Californians came out to protest cuts in the education system and many were upset that they are paying more fees for fewer classes. What is Ms. Whitman's stance on the rallies that took place two months ago across the state?
These are difficult times in our state's history. Our students have every reason to be upset and angry at the state government system running billions dollar deficits, having 2.2 million unemployed Californians, and a higher education system that has seen tuition increases nearly double in the past few years.
Marches and rallies by themselves will not accomplish the goal of creating the necessary outcomes that our students have been fighting for- there needs to be action items, goals and a voter mobilization attached to these rallies.
Goals should be set to register young voters; get them informed about each candidate; and make sure they turn out to vote on Election Day.
2. On Ms. Whitman's website, she says she will invest $1 billion of the savings from her welfare and other budgetary reforms into the UC and CSU systems. Can she provide us with more specifics on that plan?
We need to get the 2 million people back to work and we need to impose a moratorium on all new state regulations until a 90-day review of economic impact and relevance of existing laws is completed. This also includes eliminating the start-up business tax and increasing incentives for research and development by 5%, which will conform to the federal level- this will promote investment in the technologies and industries of the future.
We also need to get rid of government waste, duplication, and the inefficiency that plagues our state government. Unless we take control of the runaway spending that has been occurring and create long-term fiscal plans and put some stability in our budgeting process, families and our students can only expect more of the same- higher fees, less classes, and reduced student programs.
3. What is Ms. Whitman's philosophy on public education and public universities?
The University of California and California State University systems are two of our state's greatest resources. UC is the best public university system in the world, but it has been forced to endure significant cutbacks in recent years due to the state's budget crisis.
4. In California there have been $17 billion in cuts to education in the past two years. And the UC and Cal State systems are trying to close budget gaps by passing more cost to students and laying off staff. How would Ms. Whitman, as governor, protect and improve the public education system, keep public universities affordable and address the problem of California being 46th in the nation on per-pupil spending (according to Education Week) with respect to raising taxes and/or cutting spending?
We answered this question - point 2 .
5. Does Ms. Whitman support holding a review of Prop. 13, at the very least, with regard to taxing of corporations?
For more than 30 years, Proposition 13 has kept Californians' property taxes reasonable and predictable, and that has allowed countless families to stay in their homes and businesses to grow and compete- your parents and grandparents.
As governor, Meg Whitman has pledged to uphold Prop. 13 and stand tough against any efforts to weaken it. She believes California homeowners and businesses should be confident in the fact that their property taxes won't skyrocket and that seniors can remain in their homes when they retire.
If you like what you are getting, then keep doing more of it. And seeing from the questions you asked, we can assume you want someone who is going to change the status quo.
We look forward to earning your support and vote on Election Day.
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A woman in Jerry Brown's office told us Clifford is the best person to speak with, but he is out of the office. We asked for the name of his assistant, who is also out of the office, and received an e-mail address for him.
"Well, we have been going at this for about two months and have e-mailed daily, we were hoping to actually get some answers at some point, is there anyone we can speak to above Clifford?" we asked the woman who then told us that both Clifford and his boss were out of the office and she didn't know when they would be back.
She did take our number down though, so maybe they will call back? One can dream. UPDATE DAY 60 7:11 pm
UPDATE DAY 62 2:20 pm: A woman in Jerry Brown's office asked us to e-mail her the six questions we had. We said that we had already tried e-mails, but had yet to hear back from anyone in the Brown office.
"There's a lot of fundraising" going on now, she said.
I explained our near-daily efforts to get ahold of Brown, and she asked me to send over the articles we had written.
UPDATE DAY 61 4:46 pm: Whitman spokesman Hector Barajas commented on this piece asking us to drop him an e-mail. He then responded to our inquiry and said he should have answers to us by Friday. No word from Jerry Brown.
UPDATE DAY 48 7:00 pm: Another day passed with no response to our e-mails from either Brown's or Whitman's office.
UPDATE DAY 47 11:30 am: Relaunching his campaign over the weekend at the state Democratic Party Convention, gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown struck some populist tones in a set of speeches, including finally making comments on education.
Out in front of a group of college Democrats, Brown called for recent University of California fee hikes to be rolled back. When speaking to a crowd of teachers, he criticized the amount of standardized tests used in the state. And when answering a question on education from a Neon Tommy reporter, Brown told him to not go to business school(?).
VIDEO: Jerry Brown calls for UC fee rollback
Walking outside the Marriot at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles on the second day of the convention, Brown paused for photo-ops on the way to his waiting car.
Neon Tommy reporter Aaron Perman, also outside the hotel, hoping to a get a little more from him than just "rollback fees at UC's", asked Brown, "What are your big policy ideas on education?"
At first Brown replied, "I'm sorry. I can't hear a word you're saying." The question was repeated loudly, to the point that people were looking and he had to respond.
Brown turned and said "Liberalize it [education]...don't go to business school."
A staffer then quickly rushed him away to another photo-op and into his waiting car. UPDATE DAY 41 5:35 pm:
UPDATE DAY 42 7:40 pm: Another day came and went without a response to our important questions covering California's education crisis. A message left at Jerry Brown's campaign office was unreturned, as was an email sent to Meg Whitman's press secretary Sarah Pompei. Neon Tommy hopes both candidates come around and follow in the footsteps of Steve Poizner, whose campaign responded yesterday to our inquiry. The Poizner campaign's response can be seen below.
UPDATE DAY 41 9:30 am: The campaign of Republican Steve Poizner has become the first of the three candidates battling for the California governor's office to respond to Neon Tommy's inquiry about the education crisis and the protests held across the state on March 4th. Bettina Inclán, Poizner's press secretary, replied in an e-mail last night. Below are our questions for the candidate and the responses.
1) On March 4, many Californians came out to protest cuts in the education system and many were upset that they are paying more fees for less classes. What is Mr. Poizner's stance on the rallies that took place last month across the state?
Steve Poizner understands the deep frustration of many students who are experiencing fee increases. He supports students who peacefully voice their opinion on the issue and thinks that an open dialogue is healthy and constructive. Steve believes it is good for students to engage in important policy discussions and welcomes their input.
2) In Mr. Poizner's education plan, he calls for a review of higher education in the state. What is Mr. Poizner's philosophy on public education and public universities and how will this play a part in the review?
Steve believes that California's Higher Education system is essential to the state's future. Through the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems, all high school graduates have an opportunity to pursue some form of public higher education. As the economy continues to evolve, it is imperative that Californians continue to have access to higher education to adequately prepare themselves for the modern workforce. This may be accomplished through a traditional four-year undergraduate degree or perhaps through a career/technical certificate. Steve is committed to maintaining this open access to public higher education and will work to ensure this commitment is reflected in the updated Master Plan For Higher Education in California.
3) In California there have been $17 billion in cuts to education in the past two years. And the UC and Cal State systems are trying to close budget gaps by passing more cost to students and laying off staff. How would Mr. Poizner, as governor, protect and improve the public education system, keep public universities affordable and address the problem of California being 46th in the nation on per-pupil spending (according to Education Week) with respect to raising taxes and/or cutting spending?
Recent cuts to education spending are a legitimate cause for concern. However, Steve does not believe that raising taxes will solve all of the state's problems. With a $20 billion budget deficit, the state is in a position where it will have to make do with what it has. Specifically, the state will have to make structural changes to the K-12 education system, such as Steve's proposal to create "Charter Districts," to find new methods of creating improved spending efficiency. As for Higher Education, Steve understands how unexpected fluctuations in tuition and fees can affect a student's ability to continue his or her studies. To the extent possible, Steve is committed to maintaining tuition and fees at their current levels so that students can afford to complete their program or degree.
4) Mr. Poizner's education plan says "per student funding will be calibrated based on the child's need and other relevant circumstances." How would the need be calculated without ballooning or becoming too small to adequately providing for the student?
While the precise formula has not been created, Steve's idea is to make per-pupil funding more equitable among all students. This means that similar students with no special needs will receive the same amount of funding across the state. However, recognizing that some students cost more to educate than others, various factors may serve to increase a student's individual funding level. This may include adjustments due to special education needs, an English language learner designation, or perhaps a child's economically disadvantaged background. This system, however, does not take away money from an individual student and lower it to an unacceptable level. The funding formula will only serve to supplement a student's per-pupil funding level through some finding of additional educational need.
5) Does Mr. Poizner support holding a review of Prop. 13, at the very least, with regards to taxing of corporations?
Steve Poizner has signed a pledge not to raise taxes in any form, and opposes increasing property taxes with split-roll taxation or otherwise. The current protections against excessive property taxes should continue to protect residential, commercial, and industrial property owners. California's economy will not improve by increasing taxes on job-creating businesses.
6) What is Mr. Poizner's stance on AB 656 (California Higher Education Endowment Corporation oil and gas severance tax)?
Steve Poizner opposes any form of new taxes.
UPDATE DAY 40, 5:00 pm: Poizner Rep Agrees To Respond To Education Questions.
After 40 days and nights, Neon Tommy has received word from one of the three gubernatorial campaigns about answering questions on the state of California education and the March 4th education protests. Bettina Inclán, Steve Poizner's press secretary, agreed to respond to our inquiry about the rallies and the candidate's plan for education. As soon as the reply is received, Neon Tommy will publish the results. Stay tuned...
While Jerry Brown has made time since March 4th to appear on Dr. Phil to discuss prescription drugs and Corey Haim, Neon Tommy is still waiting for a response to our list of questions submitted to the Brown campaign one month ago. A message was left for Sterling Clifford, Brown's campaign manager, asking for the new time frame on their response and for a list of Mr. Brown's recent interviews.
Taking a different angle of attack with the Whitman campaign, Neon Tommy left a message for Allie Brandenburger, Whitman's deputy press secretary. The campaign's head press secretary, Sarah Pompei, has hung up on Neon Tommy reporters twice when contacted for a statement on the education crisis. Despite the Whitman campaign leading in recent polls, hopefully Brandenburger will believe the issue is important enough for Californians to know where the candidate stands.
UPDATE DAY 29, 10:09 pm: Another day without a response from Jerry Brown or his campaign office. A message left with Jerry Brown's campaign office seeking answers to our questions, which were submitted nearly 3 weeks ago, was not returned Thursday. Neon Tommy continues to seek answers from Brown, as well as Whitman and Poizner, about how they would address the failing state of education in California.
UPDATE DAY 28, 6:30 pm: A message left with Jerry Brown's campaign office seeking answers to our questions, which were submitted nearly 3 weeks ago, was not returned Wednesday. Neon Tommy continues to seek answers from Brown, as well as Whitman and Poizner, about how they would address the failing state of education in California.
UPDATE DAY 26, 9:00 pm: As we close in on a month without a response from Jerry Brown regarding the education protests from the beginning of March, it seems all of the gubernatorial campaigns have settled into a routine of not replying to Neon Tommy's requests for information.
After asking for Sterling Clifford at Brown's campaign office, we left another message for the campaign manager asking about the written questions on the education crisis in California which we submitted 20 days ago. While a state campaign law agency cleared Brown of wrongdoing Monday, his campaign has yet to clear up our questions on the March 4 protests and the future of California's education system.
Meg Whitman's "odd press strategy" followed the same amount of consistency as Brown's campaign. As with the last incidence, Sarah Pompei, Whitman's press secretary, refused to speak to the press (Neon Tommy) by hanging up the phone after a staff reporter contacted her and identified herself. A call back went to Pompei's voice mail. An e-mail was sent to Pompei so that Neon Tommy could specify more completely what we would like to ask.
A call to candidate Steve Poizner's press secretary at their campaign office went unanswered. An e-mail for the press secretary and communications director was sent, addressing our education questions for the Republican candidate.
Neon Tommy has not heard back from the three candidates as of Day 26 of our education candidate watch.
UPDATE DAY 9, 5:00 pm: On Wednesday, the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, wrote about a bizarre press event held Tuesday with Republican candidate for governor Meg Whitman. Cillizza dubbed Whitman's practice of ducking news conferences an "odd press strategy."
The "odd strategy" continued Friday when Neon Tommy attempted to contact Sarah Pompei, Whitman's press secretary, regarding education issues. After Pompei picked up the call, I identified myself as a news editor at Neon Tommy. I then added that I had some questions about education and the education rallies on March 4th.
At that point of the one-sided conversation, the phone clicked and the call was dropped. When her number was called again, the call went to voice mail where a message was left. "I'm not sure if you had a problem with your phone...," I said at the beginning of the message.
The hope of receiving answers from Jerry Brown's campaign is losing some of its initial promise. When we called his campaign back Friday afternoon, Sterling Clifford, Brown's campaign manager, had "stepped out." Four days after our conversation with Mr. Clifford, Neon Tommy awaits answers to our questions on education.
Finally, in order to give all of the candidates a chance to speak about the education rallies, a message was left this afternoon for Bettina Inclán, Steve Poizner's, press secretary.
-John Guenther
UPDATE DAY 8, 8:00 pm: Still no response from Sterling Clifford, Jerry Brown's campaign manager. Clifford did not return mulitple calls today or an email seeking responses from Jerry Brown to our questions.
-Jessika Walsten
UPDATE DAY 7, 7:20 pm: "Early afternoon" came and went today with no response from Sterling Clifford, Jerry Brown's campaign manager. Clifford had told Neon Tommy earlier in the day he would get back to us around that time.
Clifford did not return a message left at his office or an email seeking answers to our questions, which are posted below.
-Andrew Khouri
UPDATE DAY 7: Answers may be around the corner: Jerry Brown's campaign manager, Sterling Clifford, told Neon Tommy Wednesday morning that he should respond to our written questions (posted below) early this afternoon. Stay tuned....
1) On March 4, many Californians came out to protest cuts in the education system and many were upset that they are paying more fees for less classes. What is Mr. Brown's stance on the rallies that took place last week across the state?
2) Mr. Brown told Bill Mattos last week that he is against raising taxes. However, in California there have been $17 billion in cuts to education in the past two years. And the UC and Cal State systems are trying to close budget gaps by passing more cost to students and laying off staff. How would Mr. Brown, as governor, protect and improve the public education system, keep public universities affordable and address the problem of California being 47th in the nation on per-pupil spending without raising taxes?
3) Mr. Brown did state that he would raise taxes, if the people wanted it. If raising taxes was deemed a necessity, would he take the initiative to help convince the people of the need?
4) Does Mr. Brown support holding a review of Prop. 13, at the very least, with regards to taxing of corporations?
5) What is Mr. Brown's stance on AB 656 (California Higher Education Endowment Corporation oil and gas severance tax)?
Finally, we would also appreciate getting to sit down with Mr. Brown eventually to further discuss this issue and other issues critical to Californians. Let us know how we can help facilitate this.
-Andrew Khouri
UPDATE DAY 6: In another attempt to get our education questions answered, Neon Tommy placed a phone call Tuesday to Jerry Brown's campaign manager, Sterling Clifford, and was told he was on the other line. He has not called back nor responded to an e-mail.
-Shannon Pence
UPDATE DAY 5: There is some hope that California's students and teachers may hear what the lone Democratic candidate thinks about the statewide March 4 protests for education which brought out thousands at California campuses last week.
Jerry Brown's campaign manager, Sterling Clifford, told Neon Tommy Monday that he has not discussed the topic of the March 4 with Brown and that he would not want to answer for him. However, Clifford pledged a response "in a couple of days" to written questions.
Clifford added that, after launching his campaign last week, Brown has been back at work as Attorney General at his Oakland office.
-John Guenther
UPDATE DAY 4:
Since the statewide March 4 protests, Brown has maintained his silence on the pressing issue of California's crumbling public higher education system. But this weekend he had an accomplice.
As the saying goes, 80 percent of success is showing up, and Brown did that for Conan Nolan's Sunday morning News Conference on KNBC. But Nolan royally screwed up his 20 minutes with Brown, failing to talk specifics about the future; instead spending most of the interview looking backward at Brown's history in the state's higher offices and sharing dusty, trophy-shelf knowledge of Brown's former quirks.
When the Attorney General twice brought up his change of heart on Proposition 13, Nolan failed to press Brown on where he is today on Prop. 13, the 1978 property tax initiative that every political analyst and legislator I've ever spoken to calls the third rail of politics.
Not once did Nolan push Brown on one of his first and most profound campaign commitments in this race, not to raise taxes. On this, the biggest issue of the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, how the next California governor can rule out raising more revenue and still be committed to maintaining successful public K-12 and higher education systems, building a forward-looking transportation infrastructure, cleaning up the environment, providing incentives for businesses to stay local, and funding prevention programs to reduce the state's tragically overcrowded prison system, Brown remains silent and feckless.
It continues to boggle my mind that the son of the governor who is in large part responsible for making California colleges what they are today, has not said one word to address the thousands of people who took to the streets on March 4 to protest deep and painful budget cuts to education; cuts that have forced thousands of layoffs and furloughs of teachers and librarians and absurdly overcrowded school classrooms.
Asked Sunday what his father, also a two-term governor of California in the 1960's, would say about his son running for the job again, Brown said, "I think he'd be very proud...If I succeed in going back to Sacramento and doing a good job, I think he'd look down from heaven and say, 'Well done son.'"
Well, I disagree. Gov. Pat Brown would be very disappointed in his son. He would say that what California needs most right now, is a leader who can explain why the state needs to think about being more than it is today, not less, and a leader brave enough and smart enough to explain why every Californian needs to make even greater sacrifices going forward than we've already made over the last several years to resuscitate the California dream.
Gov. Pat Brown saw the virtue in building for the California of tomorrow, and he would be rather pissed off to see his son, who has no more offices to run for and nothing to lose, squander the opportunity to speak straight in this gubernatorial race about what it will take to save its once world-class higher education system.
Attorney General Brown, Neon Tommy humbly requests that you sit with us for a serious conversation about how you plan to maintain the integrity of California's great assets over the next five years.
-Richie Duchon
