The nation’s economy is on unstable ground and that means that many states are also facing tough economic times, including California. Despite the shaky economy in the state, California Governor Jerry Brown is keeping his eye on a cleaner, greener future for the state.

 

Gov. Brown’s environmentally positive budget initiatives were the subject of a recent Associated Press article. The article highlights Brown’s $15.9 million budget line item for a high-speed rail project and a $25 million contribution to a habitat conservation and water delivery system that will create 135 green jobs in the Sacramento area.

 

However, funding for these projects comes at a time when the state has to cut back on other programs including $4.2 billion in cuts to programs that benefit low-income families in the state.

 

Brown made a pre-emptive statement supporting the funding for what some may consider optional programs at a time when the state continues to face a budget crisis.

 

"This is a strong, confident investment in the future of California," Brown said in releasing his budget plan. "There are a few people, some of them who are hankering after life in Texas, who call California a failed state. But we are the innovative state. We're the state of Apple computer, of Facebook, of Hewlett-Packard, Hollywood, stem cell research, international trade, diversity. This is a state that's dynamic, it's creative, and it's prosperous." Source: NPR

 

It may be a few years before California realizes the gains made from Brown’s forward-thinking budget but when the nation’s green economy booms, California will be ahead of the economic recovery curve.