Decision of Nicholas Berggruen’s good government committee means one less possible revenue measure

This morning, CalBuzz released polling data showing the revenue measure of the Think Long committee to be trailing two other measures.  CalBuzz posited that they would probably just go along with Brown’s when push comes to shove. And, well, I guess the push came quickly, as this afternoon they just announced that they won’t be pursuing their measure for the time being.

Therefore, we have decided to proceed as follows:

1)      Continue communicating the necessity and benefits of the Tax and Revenue Reform Plan and engage a diverse range of stakeholders, with the goal of releasing draft ballot-measure language for comprehensive public and fiscal review during 2012, for the purpose of filing the strongest-possible measure for the November 2014 ballot.

2)      In the meantime, a high-turnout election is a terrible thing to waste.  California voters deserve the opportunity in 2012 to begin the long process of reforming state government.  Therefore, in the coming days, we will be announcing our intention to partner with other organizations by generously supporting one or more reform measures that have already been filed for the 2012 elections, consistent with our Blueprint.

My guess would be that Berggruen will write a check to Brown’s campaign and then participate in the gentle nudging of the other measures to the side.

Full release over the flip

STATEMENT OF THINK LONG COMMITTEE FOR CALIFORNIA REGARDING THE 2012 BALLOT, BUDGET AND TAX REFORM AND NEXT STEPS

“Six weeks ago, the independent Think Long Committee for California concluded more than a year of investigation and deliberation by releasing ‘A Blueprint to Review California,’ a list of bipartisan recommendations for fixing the state’s dysfunctional government and rebooting California’s future.  Most importantly, we invited all Californians to openly engage in this process by reviewing our proposals and providing immediate feedback.

We’ve been vigorously discussing and developing a viable action plan and timeline for implementing our broad range of proposals ever since.

Consistent with our collective view that California needs to think, plan and act for the long term, we’ve been guided by the cardinal rule that it is far more important to get our reforms done ‘right’ than ‘right away.’

In the case of two of our proposals – our long-term tax and revenue reform plan and a proposal to establish a new, independent Citizens Council for Government Accountability – we have been gratified by the overwhelming interest from elected leaders in both parties, including Governor Brown, stakeholders and everyday citizens in these bold, broad-based changes.  It is clear from public reaction, stakeholder meetings and our own public opinion research that Californians are hungry for real reform and are more willing than ever to support a sweeping plan that is fair and will put an end to California’s perpetual financial volatility and suffocating wall of debt.

At the same time, we recognize the practical constraints of the 2012 election calendar – and have come to the conclusion that it will take more time to perfect these proposals, eliminate unintended consequences and provide every stakeholder and everyday Californians a meaningful voice in that process.

Therefore, we have decided to proceed as follows:

1)      Continue communicating the necessity and benefits of the Tax and Revenue Reform Plan and engage a diverse range of stakeholders, with the goal of releasing draft ballot-measure language for comprehensive public and fiscal review during 2012, for the purpose of filing the strongest-possible measure for the November 2014 ballot.

2)      In the meantime, a high-turnout election is a terrible thing to waste.  California voters deserve the opportunity in 2012 to begin the long process of reforming state government.  Therefore, in the coming days, we will be announcing our intention to partner with other organizations by generously supporting one or more reform measures that have already been filed for the 2012 elections, consistent with our Blueprint.

We will also pursue implementation of other elements of our “Blueprint” by:

·         Co-sponsoring the California Economic Summit in May to develop a statewide job creation and competitiveness implementation plan.

·         Supporting a coordinated regulatory reform effort – including CEQA reform – that maintains California’s environmental leadership while expediting permitting for job-creating new and/or expanded projects.

·         Forging a partnership with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, as well as federal and local officials, to establish “plug-and-play” pre-permitted zones to attract new investment to California.

Pursuing reform on these multiple fronts and engaging a broader coalition will exponentially increase our reach, effectiveness and odds for success.

We are extremely pleased by the progress we’ve already made in a relatively short period of time – and look forward to supporting and helping to lead the hard, time-consuming work of achieving California’s comeback.

Because, in the end, Think Long means acting long, as well.”

The Think Long Committee for California is: Nicolas Berggruen (Founder), David Bonderman, Eli Broad, the Honorable Willie Brown, the Honorable Gray Davis, Maria Elena Durazo, the late Matthew Fong, the Honorable Ronald George, Antonia Hernandez, the Honorable Robert Hertzberg, Gerry Parsky, the Honorable Condoleeza Rice, Eric Schmidt, Terry Semel, the Honorable George Shultz and Dr. Laura D’Andrea Tyson.