Gov. Jerry Brown said this morning that California's high tax rates have not dragged down the economy, defending his Nov. 6 ballot initiative to raise taxes in a television interview.
"I know we're a high-tax state, but that's happened under Ronald Reagan, it's happened under my father, it's happened under Schwarzenegger, it's gone a long time," the Democratic governor said on CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crowley. "Remember, California has created almost twice as many jobs at twice the rate of the country as a whole. So we're a real engine out here, in terms of Silicon Valley and Apple and Hewlett-Packard, and all the things we're doing."
California is outperforming other states in job creation, according to the state Employment Development Department, though double-digit unemployment remains higher than the national average.
Asked by Crowley if California's persistent budget deficits don't demonstrate that higher taxes hinder economic growth, Brown said, "It's just the opposite, because the economy is doing better than the rest of the nation."
Torey Van Oot covers the California Legislature and state politics. 
Amy Chance is political editor for The Sacramento Bee. 
Dan Smith is Capitol bureau chief for The Sacramento Bee. 
Melody Gutierrez covers the state Legislature. 
Micaela Massimino edits Capitol Alert. 
Laurel Rosenhall covers the lobbying community and higher education. 
Jim Sanders covers the state Legislature. 
David Siders covers the Brown administration. 
Dan Walters is a columnist for The Sacramento Bee. 
Jeremy B. White covers California politics and edits Capitol Alert's mobile Insider Edition. 
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