SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND UNFUNDED LIABILITIES: Five remarkably candid tips from departing Gov. Jerry Brown.

“In politics, you should take care of your friends,” said Brown, noting that both Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, and Rose Bird, former chief justice of the California court system, started out working for his various campaigns. “Loyalty is important. Keep the meritocracy within limits.”

But there are limits on repaying loyalty too.

“Politics is a difficult business,” he said. “You need to raise massive sums of money from people who all want something and if you give it to them directly you’ll go to jail. But if you don’t give it to them in some form, you won’t be elected to the next office.”

Maybe the problem is in treating elected office as a career, rather than as a brief opportunity to accomplish something important for the people of your state.