These Reforms Would Tarnish Golden State

Re “Reform, in Small Bites” (editorial, Aug. 4) and “Schwarzenegger Pledges to ‘Make Every Use’ of Government Revamp” (Aug. 4): The governor’s putsch against the Legislature, environmental regulators, other state agencies and school boards is repulsive and should be rejected. The business lobbyists who secretly drafted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s government-shrinking plan have served up 2,500 pages of bad ideas that would harm the public: cutting the Legislature back to part time, outsourcing social services, subjecting Californians to the misery of toll roads, abolishing the Air Resources Board, reviving a failed and expensive manufacturers’ tax giveaway, forcing kids to wait an extra year to enter kindergarten and transferring all state education authority to a governor’s appointee. Here’s a better idea: Why don’t we just eliminate the office of governor? I’ve heard stories about the grand old days of Hiram Johnson and Pat Brown. But in my 20 years as a Californian, I’ve never seen a governor lead or build -- only obstruct and destroy. Schwarzenegger is the most destructive occupant yet.

Michael Katz

Berkeley

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Raising the age bar for kindergartners should not be decided on the basis of dollars, but rather on the educational needs of children. Data have proved that children who attend schools (especially those in low-income areas) where pre-kindergarten classes are offered achieve more than youngsters who are deprived of this opportunity.

Valerie Fields

Former Member

LAUSD Board

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“Refreshing” may not be the correct word to apply to Bill Boyarsky, but it was a pleasure and instructive to read his personal perspective about Sacramento’s bad old days (Commentary, Aug. 3). Why, other than as a sign of inexperience, would anyone be pushing for a part-time Legislature for California? As Boyarsky points out, with term limits in California, lobbyists already have an easy life in Sacramento. A part-time Legislature would make the work of a lobbyist even easier and the process sleazier. We should advocate for part-time lobbyists first.

D.A. Papanastassiou

San Marino

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Re “State Pushes Problems Into Future,” Aug. 1: California is in gridlock, trucklock and wing- lock; we can’t move our people or products because our freeways and highways are clogged. Our schools are in deep trouble scholastically, and our jails and prisons are overcrowded. Will this “sweeping reorganization of state government” solve any of the above problems? Or is it just going to throw overboard a few deck chairs on the Titanic?

Angie Papadakis

Rancho Palos Verdes