Oh, Jerry Brown, how we love you and your candid quotes.
The Golden State Governor is never one to mince words, and Tuesday's appearance at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas was no exception. During a panel discussion that included Washington Governor Christine Gregoire and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, Brown accused California lawmakers of adhering to "the notion that taxes are like some kind of sexually transmitted disease," the Los Angeles Times reports.
Brown visited Sin City this week as part of his first out-of-state trip since taking office in January. In addition to making crowd-stopping comments about STD's, he touted his ambitious plans for integrating clean energy policies into California's future. According to the San Jose Mercury News:
"Climate change has become more obvious, and we see great opportunity in investing in wind, solar and energy efficiency, or 'negawatts,'" Brown told a gathering here of 700 clean energy advocates. "This is like the computer industry when it first started. It starts small and it keeps growing. We're not going to ever not need energy."
Brown has a history of using salty language to generate attention from the public. During his gubernatorial bid in late 2010, he caused an uproar when alluding to Bill Clinton's affair with former intern Monica Lewinsky.
"I mean Clinton's a nice guy, but who ever said he always told the truth? You remember, right? There's that whole story there about did he or didn't he," Brown said at a campaign event in Los Angeles after a constituent asked him about his long-standing rivalry with our 42nd president. "I did not have taxes with this state."
His comments Tuesday have yet to generate a similar media firestorm, but we'll be keeping our eyes and ears open.