Reply #23: Well, I grew up with him as my Governor. Here's a small list of his accomplishments in the 1970s.

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Under Jerry Brown, California:

1.) Had a huge budget surplus of $5 billion. He did this by judicial spending and elimination of many tax breaks for already-rich corporations.

2.) Reorganized the California Arts Council, increased funding by 1300% to it, and put actual artists on the council.

3.) Repealed the "depletion allowance", which was little more than a huge tax break for the oil industry.

4.) Vetoed/opposed the death penalty while Governor.

5.) Put environmental issues at the forefront.

6.) Became a huge proponent of alternative energy. An example was the creation of the first-ever tax-incentive for installing rooftop solar panels.

7.) Had a great public education system. During his tenure as Governor, CA's school system was ranked in the top 8, instead of near dead last like it is now.

Brown also didn't want to live in the Governor's mansion and have a chauffered limo drive him around. He said they were too much of a tax burden on Californians. He instead opted for living in a modest apartment and driving himself around in a Plymouth Satellite sedan.