Jerry Brown Turns 80

Jerry Brown at 41

In a mostly overlooked milestone, California Governor Jerry Brown turned 80 today. [bold added]

The leader of one of the world’s largest economies will become an octogenarian, the oldest governor in the land and the longest-serving governor of California.

I liked him during his first go-round as governor during the 1970's. He espoused a then-unusual combination of staunch fiscal conservatism and liberal social causes like environmentalism and gay rights. He mastered the symbolism of politics, eschewing the governor's mansion for a small apartment and a chauffeured limo for his own Plymouth sedan. (It didn't hurt that he dated rock superstar Linda Ronstadt while in office.)

In the past year California has become the vanguard of the so-called "cold civil war" being waged against the Trump Administration, with Jerry Brown as its leader. If anything, Jerry Brown at 80 has become even more outspoken than Jerry Brown at 40.

I disagree with many of his policies, especially high-speed rail, but I wish him a long, healthy, and fruitful life, tilting for windmills.