California’s Economic Woes
I would like to comment on Joel Kotkin’s article (“The One and Only Issue for California: Jobs,” Opinion, Nov. 17) bashing public officials for failing to face up to the need to hold and create jobs, because he, himself, has been a promoter of the mistaken belief that our region is an automatic engine of growth (L.A. Times Magazine, Jan. 15, 1989).
In all of his writings, Kotkin has never mentioned that Southern California’s prosperity has always been linked to the availability of water.
For example, when he invokes the name of former Gov. Edmund G. (Pat) Brown as the mover and shaker current officials must emulate to solve the jobs problem, there is no mention of the role Brown played in building the California Aqueduct Project, and thereby extending Southern California’s prosperity.
One of the important reasons why we may not come out of a recession is that industry no longer feels we have a cheap, reliable water supply. Not only will industry stay away, but as water rates continue to soar and rationing also continues, we can expect an exodus from our cities.
If Kotkin and others would stop sweeping the serious water problem under the rug, we might see some progress toward solving our economic problems.
LEON FURGATCH
Granada Hills
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