Too Many People, Too Few Resources

* There are many who feel that even commenting on population growth and its problems is tantamount to infringing on growth and its civil liberties. Is there any chance that the following stories had their beginning in the fact that we have too many people and too little room and jobs?

In a recent issue of the Orange County section of The Times, I found the following stories on just three pages! Do you think the rising population has anything to do with any or all of these stories?

1. In Anaheim, police arrested four for murder.

2. In Santa Ana, a 15-year-old died from a shooting while standing on his front porch with two friends. That was the fifth person killed that week.

3. In Anaheim, a man working on his truck was hit when one gang was shooting at another as they were chased down the street.

4. Residents in Brea complained about the growth of condos that (they say) is eroding the quality of their neighborhood.

5. In San Juan Capistrano, a fourth workshop was scheduled to deal with development issues. The city is trying to figure out how to develop full economic potential downtown without destroying the small-town atmosphere that makes it a tourist attraction.

6. There was a protest in Westminster by students because of proposed fee hikes for education. The governor is trying to slash the state’s budget deficit by raising fees; however, there are now over 1.5 million students in the community college system. That is more than the population in the entire state when the community college system began.

7. A food drive for the homeless in Dana Point ended. The need is still there, but they had to close down for a while. (Probably budget constraints.)

For years, we’ve watched how aggressive the lab rats become when the doctors let them crowd their habitat. Why are we surprised when it happens to humans?

BILL HALPIN

Huntington Beach