Brown-Whitman Debate: State budget kicks off first gubernatorial matchup

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The first of three scheduled gubernatorial debates began with a discussion of the state budget. Sort of.

Panelist Amy Chance asked Whitman about budget gridlock in Sacramento. ‘I think we have one of the most dysfunctional state governments in the country,’ Whitman said. But she reverted quickly to her talking points about ‘putting California back to work’ and the state’s unemployment rate. She renewed her familiar calls for targeted tax cuts and streamlined regulations.

Brown responded by calling the budget ‘the heart of any Democratic society’ and said ‘the budget mess is one of the key characteristics of how screwed up things are in Sacramento.’

-- Anthony York in Davis