State Budget Deadlock

The governor continues to make every effort to block progress on the state budget, demanding his way or no way (Aug. 24). Sunday night, it only took Gov. Wilson eight minutes to veto an education funding bill passed by the Senate and Assembly.

The bill cut education by more than $800 million--a true compromise and the most that education could take without causing great harm to the state’s 5 million schoolchildren. But the governor still insists that education should take deeper cuts to the tune of $6 billion over the next four years even though there is no need to.

Republican Sen. Frank Hill and Assembly Democrats have made real attempts to move the budget process forward by producing six different balanced budgets. All of these budgets recognize education as a top priority--five of them without raising taxes or rolling over the deficit.

Enough is enough. The governor should accept one of these compromise plans that spread the pain among all state services without leaving any one service totally devastated. The future of California depends upon it.

DELAINE EASTIN, Chair

Assembly Education Committee

D-Union City