Is the Governor Joking With California Taxpayers?

◼ In announcing that his estimate of the budget shortfall has ballooned from $9 billion to $16 billion in just four months, Governor Brown concluded, “But we’re getting there; we’re making real progress.” Perhaps this is further evidence that there is a fine line between being, as he described himself, “a buoyant optimist” and being just plain delusional. - Jon Coupal/Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Brown’s approach to the budget sounds a lot like the old joke where the pilot comes over the intercom to announce to passengers that he has good news and bad news. “The bad news is we are lost -- the good news is we are ahead of schedule.”

But with Brown’s budget press conference last week, few people will mistake his material for a standup comedy routine. Even if that were his intent, Brown clearly does not understand his audience. His solution to the problem of Sacramento’s inability to balance the budget is a very unfunny tax increase.