Gov. Brown Kicks Off Campaign For Tax Ballot Measure; Shrugs Off Parks Scandal
SACRAMENTO (KCBS) – California Governor Jerry Brown kicked off his campaign for Proposition 30, his ballot measure to raise taxes, in Sacramento on Wednesday and said he isn't afraid about the impact of the still-growing state parks scandal.
With a throng of support at his side, he urged Californians to vote yes on Proposition 30. He said it was the only way to avoid billions of dollars in cuts to schools and higher education.
Critics have said that there's no guarantee that tax money will go to education. But Governor Brown said that "without a dictatorship with guns," nothing is ever a guarantee.
KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:
"This is a democracy. People can always change," Brown said. "But Prop 30 is about taking money and giving it to the schools. And that's what people have to decide. If they want to vote no, I'm going to carry it out because I'm still going to be here."
Joel Fox with No on Prop 30 said voters are fed-up with things like high-speed rail, which costs way more than originally forecast.
"Voters are frustrated with that. They're frustrated with the parks story, about the 70 parks that were going to be closed and now there's $54 million that is not being spent and has been sitting there for decades."
Brown said he hopes the park scandal doesn't sour voters in giving lawmakers even more tax money to spend.
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