‘For Regional Government’

Thank you for the Sept. 23 editorial “For Regional Government.” It places many important facts clearly in view.

It is, unfortunately, unrealistic to expect adequate support for directly electing people to a local government adequately sized to deal with major regional problems such as air pollution and traffic congestion. Most local government officials will be opposed for fear it would lessen their power and most state officials will be opposed because those regionally elected officials successful in addressing major problems would be too-strong lead candidates to replace current legislators.

Due to antiquated boundaries and inadequate funding most people tend to forget that we already have regional government--we call it countries.

It is unfortunate that our two agencies most competent and intended to deal with regional problems find themselves at odds. I believe Southern California Assn. of Governments is being quite shortsighted in opposing the bill that would provide license fee revenue to cities and counties through the Southern California Air Quality Management District. Too much chauvinism, not enough statesmanship.

On the other hand, the SCAQMD staff has gone overboard in insisting that the dollars necessary to SCAG to do its necessary planning be on a straight contractual basis rather than a more assured partnership basis.

This problem would be solved if the state met its responsibilities in providing SCAG an assured source of funding sufficient to accomplish its broad responsibilities. There are additional disagreements but they all lend themselves to reasonable resolution. The future of Southern California is too important to allow its harm through misunderstandings and squabbles.

As a past President of SCAG and the current chairman of the SCAQMD, I am strongly supportive of both agencies and very appreciative of their accomplishments on behalf of all of us.

If we genuinely support home rule we will insist our state provide ample authority to locally elected officials to adequately address our major regional concerns.

Thanks again for a very much on-target and thought-provoking editorial.

NORTON YOUNGLOVE

Supervisor

Riverside County