PD Editorial: Classic Gov. Brown: Brief and to the point

Jerry Brown has now given more State of the State addresses than any governor in California history. And the latest was vintage Brown -#8212; succinct, utilitarian and memorable more for what it didn't include than what it did.

Brown's address Wednesday did not include a laundry list of costly initiatives for the Legislature to tackle. It didn't include long-winded tributes to Capitol aides, lawmakers and himself for a rebounding economy that's poised to leave the state with $3 billion in reserves at the end of the fiscal year. Most of all it didn't include pontificating about what he's achieved in his time in office and what remains on his agenda this year or during his next term, which he has yet to formally declare he's seeking.

Instead, Brown delivered a compact, 17-minute address that celebrated "California's comeback," warned of its obstacles and was refreshing as much for its levity as its brevity.

"For a decade, budget instability was the order of the day," he said. "A lethal combination of national recessions, improvident tax cuts and too much spending created a financial sink hole ... But three years later, here we are -#8211; with state spending and revenues solidly balanced, and more to come."

He noted that the state has seen the creation of more than a million new jobs since 2010 and a significant budget surplus due primarily to a rebounding economy and the approval of Proposition 30 by voters. But his message was clear: California needs fiscal discipline, a rainy day fund and a rainy day or two.

He noted that California's "long-term liabilities are enormous and ever growing." These include "more than $100 billion for pensions owed to state workers, teachers and judges, tens of billions needed to cover retiree health care and $65 billion needed to maintain and keep our roads, buildings and other infrastructure in sound repair."

Brown also cautioned that the state faces a major threat from the lack of rain and the cumulative effects of climate change. "Right now, it is imperative that we do everything possible to mitigate the effects of the drought," he said.

There were significant gaps in his remarks. It included scant reference to the costly and contentious high-speed rail project and his peripheral pipes proposal for shipping more water to the central valley and points south. And while he praised the Legislature for approving a new formula for allocating state education funds that puts the responsibility "where it has to be: in the classroom and at the local district," he steered clear of talking about funding for higher education. Reports show that UC and CSU students continue to struggle to afford tuition, to get the classes they need to graduate in four years and are often left with significant college loan debts.

But overall his emphasis was in the right place -#8212; on saving, not spending.

"Boom and bust is our lot," Brown said, "and we must follow the ancient advice, recounted in the Book of Genesis, that Joseph gave to the pharaoh: Put away your surplus during the years of great plenty so you will be ready for the lean years which are sure to follow."

Some pundits have argued that despite Article 5 of the state Constitution, which requires the governor to "report to the Legislature each calendar year on the condition of the state," it's time to put this annual address to rest. But if future governors can just be convinced to keep their speeches concise and more Brown-like, this tradition, perhaps like the state, has a hopeful future.