One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Jerry Brown Sworn In as California's 39th Governor
Brown takes the oath of office (Photo by ericgarcetti via Twitpic)
Everything old is new again today in Sacramento, as California officially has a new Governor, the 34th re-inaugurated as the 39th, as Jerry Brown took the oath of office in front of a cheering crowd of dignitaries and supporters.
"It's a sacred and special ritual," said Brown of his inauguration during his post-oath speech. Brown noted that the occasion was made more special as he was following in not only his father's footsteps, but also his own, taking the Governor's office again 36 years after he was first installed in the post.
Humor and smiles was plentiful during the ceremony and speech-giving, even present during the oath itself, as administered by the just-inaugurated Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court Tani Cantil-Sakauye. She began with instructions to repeat "I, state your name," which prompted brief mugging from Brown as he filled in his name. When Cantil-Sakauye reached the part about entering office "with no mental reservation" Brown laughed as he read back the line, quipping, "really...no mental reservation!"
"The budget I present next week will be painful, but it will be an honest budget," remarked Brown on a serious note about the leadership upon which he is set to embark. "It's a tough budget for tough times," he added.
"My goal is to achieve greater accountability and to reduce the historic shifting of responsibility back and forth from one level of government to another," he said before an audience that included exiting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "Choices have to be made, and difficult decisions taken [...] I have not come here to embrace delay and denial."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
