Governor’s Letter

I read with amazement and disgust Gov. Deukmejian’s letter of rebuttal to your budget proposals. The letter’s infantile, bilious tone is unworthy of any grown man, much less the most prominent official of the nation’s most populous state.

For the governor to ask any one company (i.e., Times Mirror) to bail out California from the mess he’s made of its finances is unfair. I’m sure Times Mirror would be more than willing to pay its fair share. It seems hypocritical of Deukmejian to propose that anyone make a voluntary contribution to reduce a deficit that he’s mainly responsible for, when he’s made no such gesture himself. Would you be willing, governor, to contribute half your salary to this cause?

In recent months, Californians have found not exactly what kind of a person they elected to the state’s highest post. He’s obviously a prideful, stubborn man who repeatedly has put the cultivation of his own reputation as a no new-revenue fiscal conservative above the most basic needs of the citizens of his state. California’s roads and bridges are in near dangerous disrepair, mentally unbalanced person requiring constant supervision are being forced out on to the streets, emergency rooms are being shut down, prenatal care for the impoverished is cut--it goes on and on.

The governor refuses to allow the slightest increase in revenue unless we humor his self-deceit (or, perhaps, dishonesty), call a spade a shovel, and label an obvious tax increase as “plugging loopholes” or some other euphemism. If more funds are needed to provide minimal services for the citizens of your state, governor, have the courage to go after the money and not worry what people label it. That’s called leadership.

It seems, however, that California’s welfare is being held hostage by the governor’s fanatic concern for his image in the history books as an unwavering budgetary belt-tightener. Until 1992, bet that “Duke” will hang on to his prized fiscal conservative reputation by his fingernails, while the state slides yet further backward. Even his possible successor, Republican Pete Wilson, has had the political courage to strongly disavow the prospect of four more years of the same.

CHARLES N. FAERBER

Canoga Park