Jerry Brown Announces Presidential Campaign
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania August 2nd, 1991
Congressman Ron Dellums:Ladies and Gentlemen, today I have the high privilege of introducing a man very near and dear to me. When I first ran for Congress in 1970, my state was under the control of Governor Ronald Reagan. He promised a new style of conservatism in California, one that would cut spending on the poor by more than 50%. The results were unsurprising. Joblessness increased, crime exploded, veterans went homeless, and hundreds of thousands were forced into poverty by a winner take all economy. I went into Congress because I wanted to fight against the policies of casino style economics at the Federal Level.
Now, fast forward to 1974. That year, California made the right choice, the Democratic choice, by electing Jerry Brown as our Governor. It was like night and day. Jerry went to work immediately. Crime fell, poverty fell. Schools were funded again! He fought a measure by radical Conservatives to criminalize gays and lesbians for merely existing. My friend Jerry did everything in his power to serve the people of California. And I worked at his side.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerry Brown is the real deal! He is a change maker from the largest state in the Union. He is a common sense Liberal and a fighter for working people. He knows that the answer to poverty and unemployment aren’t more layoffs and more job cuts. Jerry wants to give millions of Americans a hand up in this struggling economy. He wants to fight for the dignity of work, the right to organize, and the right to strike. Now more than ever, Americans need a man willing to stand up for those rights.
And now, folks, I would like you to join me in welcoming the next President of these United States, Jerry G. Brown!
Former Governor Jerry Brown:Thank you, Congressman Dellums! First of all, I want to give my sincere gratitude to the folks here at Independence Hall who helped organize this gathering so quickly. The good folks at the SEIU set up the stands here and we’ve got the United Food and Commercial Workers catering this announcement.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we stand at a unique crossroads in history. It’s been twelve years since Ronald Reagan was elected President. In that time, our unions have been halved in strength, workers wages have fallen, and millions of Americans now face the grim reality of poverty. Across this nation, hard working members of the middle and working class can barely get by. Thousands of jobs have been cut at plants across this country. Crime has soared, despite the emphatic promises of Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Unions, once the backbone of this country, have been crushed under the vicious regime of supply side economics.
The reality of Reaganism and its decrepit twin, Bushism, is vast wealth for the few, at the ever increasing poverty of the many. We live in an age where the basic essentials of life are unaffordable for millions of Americans. Home ownership is a dream that few can enjoy. Jobs have been moving out of this country at a frightening rate, all as the wealthy profit at their worker’s expense.
What is to be done? How do we reverse years of hostility and neglect towards working people in this country?
Well folks, I am running for President to fight for working Americans across this country. I pledge today to fight for unions, for workers, and against the interests of the wealthy and the corrupt. I promise to end ‘trickle down’ economics and restore sanity to a corrupt Washington culture that ignores the many in favor of the few.
Folks, what we have is an imbalance of power. The working people of America have no voice in Washington. Large corporations control this country, at the expense of the working class and at the expense of small businesses. Mom and pop stores have closed down in record numbers since 1980, even as corporations grow larger by the year. Small towns see their residents leave for large cities in increasing numbers. Cities, meanwhile, are stripped of vital resources by an increasingly spendthrift Federal Government.
My proposal is simple: take power from the hands of corporations and the wealthy and put it back into the hands of working Americans! Under a Brown Presidency, unions will be restored, cities will be rebuilt, and factories will reopen in America’s heartland! A Brown Administration will reduce the deficit by making the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. We will give working Americans a better deal, higher paychecks, and a stable future.
I promise to attack crime at the root source, by helping our poorest citizens conquer hopelessness and fear. We will fight discrimination against all Americans, we will fight for the rights of immigrants, and we will oppose unfair trade deals that hurt the working class.
My campaign is 100% of the people, by the people, and for the people! I promise to you today that I will fight for you, and not the special interests in Washington. I will not accept individual donations above $100. I will not be beholden to any corporation or interest group. From day 1, the welfare of all Americans will be my greatest priority.
We need a President that understands we can’t cut our way out of poverty, spend our way out of healthcare, or fire our way out of unemployment. We have to invest in every American and take the fight to the wealthy interests that have corroded our Democracy. We have to fight crime by taking the fight to our streets and giving a hand up to the working class in our cities. We have to work together to build a better America and a better future for our children.
Please join me in this movement to renew and rebuild America. I know that our country’s best days are on the horizon. As we stand at the dawn of a new era, join me in bringing hope and change to Washington. Thank you and God Bless America!
