Gov. Jerry Brown did some double duty on Monday – giving his fourth and final inaugural address, which also doubled as his State of the State speech.
The speech harkened back to Brown’s California ancestry, but also laid out a series of bold new proposals for the year ahead. Most striking, perhaps, were the ambitious new goals of boosting the state’s renewable energy portfolio and seeking to reduce emissions from cars by 50%.
But Brown also called for new investments in state infrastructure, and called on Democrats and Republicans to work together to make it happen.
“We must also deal with longstanding infrastructure challenges, Brown said. “
Equally important is having the roads, highways and bridges in good enough shape to get people and commerce to where they need to go. It is estimated that our state has accumulated $59 billion in needed upkeep and maintenance. Each year, we fall further and further behind and we must do something about it.
“So I am calling on Republicans and Democrats alike to come together and tackle this challenge. We came together on water when many said it was impossible. We came together - unanimously - to create a solid Rainy Day Fund. We can do it again.”
Infrastructure is typically an issue with more bipartisan support than other types of government spending. In 2006, Democrats and Republicans joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to place more than $40 billion in infrastructure bonds on the ballot.