JERRY BROWN: ANSWER: The next governor must be ready to stand against the crowd to lead a broken legislature out of a morass of poisonous partisanship. It will take old fashioned-hard work, patience and a keen understanding of the process. To turn California’s budget around, it is critical that we first reform the budget process. The current process is not designed to a produce a collaborative agreement. It starts too late, involves too few people and fails to require adequate intellectual engagement on the task at hand. Since this is the most important function of the legislature, we need a process designed from the start to build consensus on the central elements of the budget. As governor, I will start the budget negotiations immediately and involve the entire Legislature. This means: • Personally engaging the legislators, in large and small groups (both Republicans and Democrats) beginning in November, shortly after the election. • Meeting with and listening to the concerns of groups most impacted by key budgetary decisions. • Promptly identifying the differing perspectives that must be addressed. • Using the bully pulpit to gain public support early in the process with respect to key decisions that have to be made. • Recent budgets contain proposed cuts and expected revenues that are illusory. We must stop this game. As governor, I will level with the people and present an honest budget without the smoke and mirrors. • I will also put teeth behind legal budget deadlines and push for the adoption of legal changes that would penalize state leaders (both executive and legislative) if they don’t pass a budget on time. Examples include suspension of pay, per diems, car allowances and a moratorium on any non-emergency legislation until a budget is passed. • I have a deep knowledge about how government functions and how politicians operate. I have seen it as a governor, as a mayor and as attorney general. I know how to get budgets done — balanced and on time. As governor, I will ensure that money is spent carefully and that state government is operated as efficiently as possible. I have always taken a no nonsense and frugal approach to taxpayers’ money. EDITOR’S NOTE: San Diego Community Newspaper Group asked the top two California gubernatorial candidates — Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown — what they would do first to fix the state budget if elected. Each was contacted in September and given the same deadline and word count for their responses. Although the paper was in contact with both camps, only Brown sent a response. The responses were intended to run in early October, but the project was delayed until Whitman responded, but to no avail. Every reasonable attempt was made to gain a response from the Whitman campaign. Therefore, the response from Brown appears here alone. John Gregory Executive editor