Preschool for every 4-year-old in the state?

I take exception to Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Rusty Hammer’s Aug. 17 article (“Investing in 4-year-olds,” Opinion) on the issue of universal preschool. Children need caring parents to choose what is in their best interest, not another government-funded institutionalized school setting that restricts choice and diversity in the name of free education.

Our schools are failing in part because of the large government bureaucracy that has become more important than education. We do not need more of the same for our 4-year-olds.

It is my hope that parents will vote no on this ballot initiative and see it for what it really is: another step toward socialism.

CHRISTINE SLAGLE

Rancho Palos Verdes

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Something that has not been mentioned by initiative sponsor Rob Reiner or Hammer is that California has a federally funded Head Start program for parents who cannot afford preschool for their 4-year-olds. The rest of us can pay for our children to go to preschool. There is no need to raise taxes on any segment of California’s population!

YVONNE EVERSON

Los Angeles

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I have spent 44 years teaching school. I certainly believe in preschool education. However, I will never vote for this initiative until I know where all these children will be housed, who will be teaching them and how many will be in each preschool class. The answers to these questions will also determine the difference between education and baby-sitting.

This is another example of the gap between an idea and the implementation of an idea.

ELAINE S. WIENER

Villa Park