Amazing Race for the Governorship

I have been watching the race for the California governorship between Meg Whitman, a CEO and founder of EBay, and Jerry Moon Beam Brown who was former governor of California in booming and bustling days in the 1970s. It is turning out to be an interesting tenacious race with two distinct sides. Meg Whitman represents the outsider from Silicon Valley who has expertise to run a big corporation. Furthermore, she is also a tough leader who is renowned for her business reforms. On the other side of the political spectrum, Jerry Brown is symbolic of the old school of politics which is more about the state and governance than it is political points today. In addition, he is a great governing governor in his politics in that he helped balance the budget of California in the 1970s when Proposition 13 was voted in effect by Californians who were sick of high taxes at the time. However, the issue with California today is the deadlock in politics in the State capital of Sacramento, for California to have a budget; it needs to be passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of State government. The law had good intentions at the time, but it is now a big obstacle in that it allows extremist on both sides to block the budget process. Furthermore, the State has made a lot of commitments over the last few decades such as health care, education, and law enforcement. As a result, most of the California’s budget goes to these commitments with no room on how to cut or adjust the budget. Add to this proposition 13 which severally limits the State to generate funding, it adds up to a State that has a lot of unfunded commitments and no way to generate new significant revenue for the State coffers.  Given the circumstances, I think Jerry Brown will be a better fit for the job.  Meg Whitman is a leader and a good reformer when it comes to business, but she does know a lot when it comes to politics in the State of California. We already had an outsider who is currently trying to get something done in the stubborn ideologues of the State Congress.  I think we need someone with experience who has dealt with such ideologues on the State level. Jerry Brown should be governor of California because his skills, experience, and connections I think to get the job done in fixing our state.

Vocabulary words

Tenacious

Adjective

holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.

highly retentive; a tenacious memory.

pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.

  

holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough

Spectrum

Noun

A broad range of varied but related ideas or objects