Just a few months ago, Gov. Jerry Brown chastised “declinists” and “dystopian journalists” for their pessimism about California, particularly about emerging from a deep recession.
“Contrary to those critics who fantasize that California is a failed state, I see unspent potential and incredible opportunity,” Brown told the Legislature in January, citing supposed signs of economic recovery.
On Monday, however, Brown blamed a sluggish economy for revenues falling billions of dollars short of the rosy estimates in the budget he signed last June.