Gov. Deukmejian’s Cuts on Health and School Funds

Recently our governor has made severe funding cutbacks, primarily in health care and in education. These are false savings, short-run efforts that will cause far reaching hardships.

Savings in medical care will result in the closing of emergency facilities. Those in desperate need may perish before reaching services. The curtailment of prenatal services and child health care may save pennies, but minor problems, untreated, will become major ones.

What of education? Statewide services will be drastically curtailed, this in a state that already has one of the lowest per pupil costs in the United States. Do we need less education? We require a better educated population, future citizens who know not only basic skills but also have computer and technological expertise.

In Los Angeles, with with an ever-growing student population, where we are in constant need of new teachers, centers that have provided vital training will be closed. New teachers will find no resources to support their beginning efforts. Can we afford the resulting losses in learning? Can we afford to deprive California’s youngsters of the opportunity to gain the education their peers in the rest of the country enjoy?

Deukmejian’s cutbacks may result in short-term savings but ultimately the cost will be great, not only in dollars but in human resources. Is this what the people of California really want?

REBECCA ANN PENSO

Los Angeles