Actor George Takei of "Star Trek" fame was found outside the Biltmore prior to the governor’s speech, and though he was not there to hear Brown speak, he did have a message for the governor.

“Tell Governor Brown that I support his attempts to get a vote on tax extensions,” said Takei, a message we were later able to deliver to the governor.

During his brief speech the governor stayed on message regarding fiscal austerity and his plans for the state.

“We need to raise some taxes and make a few cuts,” Brown told the assembled diners. 

Governor Brown also spoke a little bit about the history of the organization, a public policy institute at California State University, Los Angeles, and his own family.

The history of the “Pat” Brown Institute of Public affairs is, in part, the history of Governor Brown’s family, because the organization is named after his father, a former governor of the state of California himself.

“This institute carries the memory, but memory alone doesn’t do it, you have to have the dreams,” said Brown before eliciting some laughter with his next statement, which was accompanied by a lighthearted dig at his political rivals.  “You have to paddle with both paddles.”

Earlier in the day, Brown told the state PTA conference in Long Beach that parents, students and teachers would lead the awakening of California's conscience toward the right path forward. He also nixed a plan to build a new $356 million home for death row inmates.

The governor’s message hasn’t changed in the month since he called budget talks with Republicans dead. On Thursday, he made his usual frustrated dig or two at his opponents and then offered some optimism.

“We will get to the promised land,” said the governor.  “We will get there.”

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