SAN FRANCISCO—Jerry Brown, two-time governor of California, attributes the successes he has achieved during his second term to decades of experience making tough decisions, focusing and listening as a public official, during his first term as governor in the mid-1970s, then as mayor of Oakland. Brown, who was interviewed by ULI leader and Marcus & Millichap Company chairman, George Marcus, during a keynote session on Tuesday, mused he has learned, "it's better to take office when an economic recovery is beginning, because when things are going south, it's hard not to get blamed".
The key to turning obstacles into accomplishments, Brown said, is to focus on a few critical issues and to stay focused on seeing them through, avoid getting involved in so many issues that follow-through becomes impossible and find the "yeses when you can".
"You have to focus on what's important and let other things go," said Brown, whose major achievements so far include overseeing the elimination of the state's $27 billion deficit. "You make too many enemies if you spread yourself too thin." He also said it's valuable to work with people with different views.
Brown's thinking on several topics related to urban growth and development included:
Drought in the West—"Prolonged drought is exacerbated by rising temperatures ... trees are drying out, causing fires to ignite and spread much more quickly." Dealing with drought, he said, will require further innovations in conserving and reusing water, because these solutions are much more cost-effective than desalination.
High-speed rail—"High-speed rail is an important part" of fostering greater economic prosperity because it provides quick, convenient access between cities and reduces the need for short flights.
Housing—"Housing [regulations] are controlled by the local governments. We [at the state level] can make marginal changes, but there is no magic to fix [the shortage of affordable] housing."
Climate change—"We're on a path to a catastrophic outcome. By the time the skeptics are convinced [that climate change is real], it will be too late." He cited actions being taken in California to adapt to the impacts of climate change and mitigate its effects, such as measures to limit carbon emissions of buildings and autos.
Brown dramatically increased California's climate-change goals the following day, signing an aggressive bill that commits the state to using renewable energy for half its electricity and making existing buildings twice as energy efficient in just 15 years.
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Lisa Brown
Lisa Brown is an editor for the south and west regions of GlobeSt.com. She has 25-plus years of real estate experience, with a regional PR role at Grubb & Ellis and a national communications position at MMI. Brown also spent 10 years as executive director at NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area chapter, where she led the organization to achieving its first national award honors and recognition on Capitol Hill. She has written extensively on commercial real estate topics and edited numerous pieces on the subject.
