Brown is right man for attorney general
Mercury News Editorial
The state attorney general oversees a department of nearly 5,000 employees, including more than 1,000 lawyers, and has a significant impact on everything from criminal law enforcement to consumer and environmental protection.
The breadth of the responsibility convinces us that former governor and current Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown is the better candidate to succeed Bill Lockyer.
At 68, Brown still has a fire in his belly for legal work, and he has the experience to efficiently run an organization of such magnitude. More than state Sen. Chuck Poochigian, Brown has good ideas not just for fighting crime, but also for tackling consumer fraud and the backlog of suits against the state.
Brown's two terms as Oakland mayor have given him a valuable, close-up look at issues facing cities and people across California.
Yes, the murder rate in Oakland is on the rise again. Brown lives downtown, and there have been eight murders within five blocks of his home in the past three years. But crime rates rise and fall for a variety of reasons.
What's clear is that Brown has worked tirelessly and creatively to improve public safety and has tackled other community issues as well. He created two charter schools and brought businesses and housing to parts of Oakland that were long neglected.
Brown began his statewide office career as secretary of state. While his two terms as governor were marked with some controversy, his 30 years of public service has been positive on the whole and good preparation for the attorney general's post.
Poochigian, 57, has been a well-regarded legislator. But his view of the office is too much ``top cop.'' While drawing a hard line against crime, he is less eloquent about the many other responsibilities of the Attorney General's Office. He points out that Brown is against the death penalty, although Brown is quick to respond that he would enforce the law.
Brown will be tough on crime, but he also will be tough on perpetrators of consumer fraud and on polluters. He should be the next attorney general.
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