California's Jerry Brown Vetoes Budget via YouTube

Brown says the state must choose between cutting programs and hiking taxes

Governor Jerry Brown called the budget plan agreed upon by California lawmakers "unrealistic" and voted the bill on Thursday afternoon. What's even more aggressive, though, is that he did it on YouTube, publicly demanding the legislators choose between deep spending cuts or significant tax hikes. Finance types hailed second-time democratic governor's aggressive approach to the issue, reports Reuters, but Senate President Darrell Steinberg said he and other lawmakers are "deeply dismayed" and unsure how to proceed. "What's wrong with declaring a partial victory?" Steinberg said.

"Today I have vetoed the California state budget," Brown said in a YouTube video. "I do so reluctantly but with clear purpose. For a decade the can has been kicked down the road and debt has piled up,"