Gov. Jerry Brown and higher education. ************************ “… Last year, he told voters that a tax increase was the only way to avoid more years of drastic cuts. Now, with the tax increase approved and universities anticipating more money from the state for the first time in years, the second Governor Brown is a man eager to take an active role in shaping the University of California and California State University systems. Governor Brown holds a position on the board of trustees for both Cal State and UC. Since November, he has attended every meeting of both boards, asking about everything from dormitories to private donations and federal student loans. He is twisting arms on issues he has long held dear, like slashing executive pay and increasing teaching requirements for professors — ideas that have long been met with considerable resistance from academia. But Mr. Brown, himself a graduate of University of California, Berkeley, has never been a man to shrink from a debate….” From NYT this morning. *********** Gov. Jerry Brown apparently has “balanced” the perennially unbalanced Cal. state budget; and is very active on higher education issues. He is on the Trustee boards for Cal State and UCal. How old is Gov. “Moonbeam”? Why doesn’t he run for POTUS in 2016? If Brown can sit on the higher ed. Trustee boards, could our Gov. Cuomo do the same? Is Cuomo’s membership on the SUNY board prohibited by the state Constitution, or because of some other reason(s)? ********** Gov. Brown is 74; and would be 78 in ’016. Not likely he will run for POTUS. Although the 70ies are the new 50ies-60ies. If Brown were to enter the POTUS race, he could, in his inevitable elliptical way, tell the voters that age is just a number, and his number is unlisted. Some of us remember Brown’s foray into New York during the 1992 POTUS primary, battling Bill Clinton. Brown, in his best existential angst, began to bring Hillary into the race. That was when ol’ Bill lifted his fist to Mr. Moonbeam, and told him to lay off Hillary. Suppose ol’ Moonbeam were to run against Hillary in ’016? Would Bill raise both fists to Jerry?