Jerry Brown is sworn in as California's Governor (again)

SACRAMENTO — Jerry Brown began his return engagement as governor of California on Monday, using his inaugural address to call for an end to partisan battling that he said was paralyzing the state and to promise, in what is presumably the last chapter of his public life, to lead California out of one of the toughest budget crises of its history.

“Choices have to be made, and difficult decisions taken,” Mr. Brown declared to an audience that included two former governors and hundreds of state legislators. “At this stage of my life, I have not come here to embrace delay and denial.”

At times jocular, at times earnest, Mr. Brown noted — indeed celebrated — his longevity in California politics, a depth of experience that in no small part accounted for his victory in November as voters in so much of the rest of the country were turning to outsiders. At 72, Mr. Brown is returning for a third term as governor, a position also held by his father, offering a West Coast echo of what took place in Albany on Sunday with the swearing-in of Andrew M. Cuomo as governor of New York.

“For me, this day is also special because I get to follow in my father’s footsteps once again, and, 36 years after my first inauguration as governor, even follow in my own,” Mr. Brown said.

In contrast to his first inaugural speech — where he called for a 7 percent cut in the size of his office staff — Mr. Brown did not offer many specifics for how he intended to deal with a state budget shortfall that is now projected at $28.5 billion over 18 months. But he has made clear that his solution, in a budget due Jan. 10, will call for deep cuts in state spending, and his aides have said it is also likely to include a request that voters extend tax surcharges scheduled to expire this year.

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