Needed Services and Bergeson’s Vision

I hope a large number of people read the article “Balancing Growth, Quality of Life” (April 20) by State Sen. Marian Bergeson. For too long the electorate has been lulled into the false idea that we can have good schools, roads, excellent police and fire protection, and all the other governmental services we expect without having to pay sufficient taxes to defray their costs.

The whole thing may have started with Prop. 13, which basically was a reaction to the bureaucratic waste created by blind, careless political leaders. As a result, we went from one extreme to the other.

Without proper funds, California state services have begun to deteriorate badly. Highways and freeways have developed dangerous conditions and new, needed construction goes forward at a snail’s pace. Mental hospitals and services have suffered. Carried to the local level, police and fire protection have often been inadequately funded, and schools have been badly damaged.

What we have needed is a clear voice to tell us that we need money to create and maintain a first-class society. We need not return to the old, profligate ways, but we must do what must be done--tax ourselves enough to pay for what we need and want. Bergeson seems to be saying these things. Let us hope that she is starting us on a path to reverse the extremism and the fiscal negativism of the past decade. From her article, I believe Ms. Bergeson to be an excellent choice for chairman of the Select Committee on Planning for California Growth.

JOHN C. DAVIS

Irvine