Jerry Brown downplays budget rift in Sacramento speech

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Gov. Jerry Brown sounded optimistic about the state’s budget problem Tuesday, downplaying the partisan rift that has halted budget negotiations in the Capitol.

“Breakdown is not unexpected, it’s just part of the bargain,” Brown told a meeting of the California Medical Assn. in Sacramento. “But breakdowns do lead to breakthroughs. It’s just a matter of patience and a certain degree of creativity.”

Brown repeated his vow to balance the state’s books “without smoke and mirrors” and with a public vote.

He is expected to take his budget message on the road later this week.

The governor’s itinerary remains unclear, but he did say he would attend an event sponsored by the California Cadet Corps in Orange County on Saturday. Brown told reporters last week he would also be in Riverside County during the trip, but those plans are unconfirmed, according to his press office.

Brown will meet later Tuesday with the heads of the state’s public universities and community colleges.

--Anthony York in Sacramento