Gov. Brown speaking in L.A., Sept. 26, 2012 (Alan Mittelstaedt, Neon Tommy).

Brown addressed issues such as the state’s growing financial inequality and how he plans to save education. Here are some memorable quotes from his visit:

“Pan, pick and went for it. That spirit stays with us still.”

The governor recalled how the California Gold Rush injected the economy with millions of dollars and brought people all over the world to the state. He invoked that same spirit with the rise of Apple and innovations like Google’s driver-less car and the Mars Curiosity built in Pasadena.

"Retreading myself is not such a bad idea…I’m the new generation that can be retreaded several times.”

This was in response to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie calling Brown an “old retread.”

“People at the top used to be about 8 percent…now it’s 22 percent. But we have a weapon for that, it’s called Proposition 30.”

The statistic is in reference to the share of income received by the top 1 percent during the 1980s. Proposition 30 will tax those making $250,000 or more and raises the state’s sales tax by a quarter cent for the next four years.

“Getting Republicans to embrace taxes is like asking the Pope to embrace birth control.”

Lightening the mood, Brown referenced a proposal from his 2011-2012 state budget in offering a five-year extension of existing taxes that were due to expire. The budget proposal failed to receive two-thirds of the votes needed to pass the legislature.

“The university is part of an economic engine, part of a human pathway that allows people to be more than they would otherwise be.”

Acknowledging the dire state of education in California, Brown addressed the numerous layoffs of teachers, librarians and school counselors along with cuts for the UCs, Cal States and community colleges. He said Proposition 30 is a plan to put money back into schools.

See the Jewish Journal's take on Brown's pitch here.

Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage on Gov. Brown here.

Reach Staff Reporter Denise Guerra here.