Helping Disney Grow Helps County

* Regarding the so-called “Disney parking structure” (Letters, April 24): Object if you will, but please get the facts straight.

The structure is to be a multiuse transportation center.

Such a center in Anaheim’s Stadium/Convention Center/Disneyland area has been under consideration for some time, even before the Westcot project was announced, and will be built whether or not Disneyland expands.

If Disneyland expands, all Disneyland will get from the transportation center is parking spaces: The revenues will go to the Orange County Transportation Authority. Because of this, a transportation center will be an investment, not a gift.

Even if the structure were for the benefit of Disneyland, such a structure would be in the old American tradition of government help for business.

In this tradition, there are direct subsidies such as those to the highly lucrative tobacco industry.

There are tax breaks for capital investment. There are incentives to locate, to stay or to expand, such as the state of California is considering for Taco Bell’s corporate headquarters.

It is not the way in which transportation money is spent which causes the freeways to be overcrowded; they are overcrowded because there are too many people and because there is a scarcity of land available for expanding freeways.

JUANITA MATASSA

Santa Ana