Providing for Needy

I noted with pleasure the recent decision of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to continue funding the Chicano Community Health Clinic and other facilities that are providing necessary health care services to our neighborhoods. The track records of those agencies are well-established, and a cut-off of financing would have been detrimental to the area residents they serve.

I also noted the decision of the supervisors not to continue financing a number of agencies, the Chicano Federation and Casa Familiar among others, whose services were considered less of a priority. I also agree with that decision.

Too often the bulk of public money poured into these types of agencies is spent on administrative costs and endless studies, with little leftover to provide services for the needy.

For years now, the main task of many of these agencies has been to justify their own existence with little regard for the needs and wishes of our communities.

They even try to place themselves in a position of advocating for and politically representing the people they are supposed to serve.

But the issues they choose to advocate are generally determined more by how agency funding is affected than by what is in the best interests of area residents.

Of course, the question remains, who will provide for those in need? Through taxes we support federal, state, county and city government bureaucracies which have a duty to help those who are truly in need and unable to provide for themselves. We must insist that these government agencies do their jobs and stop burdening our communities with new and often parallel bureaucracies.

Government has always provided services for the affluent residents and communities. Why can’t it provide for the poor and needy?

AL DUCHENY

San Diego