Morning letters: No redemption for California's lost paradise

California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during a news conference about the state budget on May 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Brown proposes $8.3 billion cuts in California to help close a projected $16 billion budget shortfall. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

IRVINE, Frederick Bruno: Our esteemed governor tells us that the budget deficit has reached $16 billion [?Governor warns of cuts,? Front Page, May 15]. Four months ago the projected deficit was just more than $9 billion, but because of the economy, state revenues have decreased considerably more than anticipated.

How could anyone with the slightest knowledge of recent California political history even consider that our state would reverse the trend that has taken us to economic disaster?

Let?s look at the past three governors of California: Gray Davis, the public employee unions? darling; Arnold Schwarzenegger, a fraud in every aspect during his time in office; and Jerry Brown, who proved he hasn?t learned much despite 40 years at the public trough.

The special-interest group pandering by politicians, the flight from California by prospective employers and taxpaying citizens to escape one of the nation?s heaviest tax burdens and the readiness of the voters of this state to pass tax increase initiatives regardless of their merits will only continue this downward spiral. California is truly paradise lost.

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IRVINE, Tim Thompson: One has to wonder in Sacramento, like in Washington, D.C., how politicians can stay a course that will be destructive to the state or country. Gov. Jerry Brown knew it was smoke and mirrors when the budget he put forward was rushed through and approved by legislators to ensure they didn?t lose their pay. The state is broke. As our state government owes $16 billion ?we teeter on the brink of financial disaster due to mismanagement of state resources.

Brown recently came out begging for citizens to pass major additional tax increases over seven years. Well, I can almost guarantee that Californians have had it, unless the state stops wasting our money on useless projects ? like the high-speed train ? literally insane wasteful projects that it won?t give up. We?ll say no ? a thousand times no.

We need tax decreases and to stop the cap-and-tax schemes along with our state environmental protection agency, known as the California Air Resources Board, which never heard a regulation it didn?t like.

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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Chris Swanson: The solution to California?s budget crisis requires comprehensive reform of public services, something that cannot happen when public employee unions own the Legislature and will block every attempt to reorganize state agencies, redesign job descriptions and overhaul employee compensation, which comprises most government spending.

In a free republic, government exists to serve the citizenry, not to provide jobs. Public service is a privilege for those fortunate enough to be hired to serve their fellow citizens. Why isn?t this fundamental truth obvious to our legislators and to our public employees?

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LADERA RANCH, Chuck Gibson: Looking forward to the June 15 deadline for submission of a balanced budget, who will accept the word of the Legislature that the budget is balanced? Most importantly, who will enforce the law to withhold legislators? pay if they do not submit a balanced budget?

The budget revise will be a compelling story told by the governor using every means at his disposal to shift responsibility and avoid accountability for unconstitutional deficit spending.

Police are not the enemy

FULLERTON, Scott Irwin: I think the ?fear? of cops is unwarranted [?Losing faith in cops,? Letters, May 14]: No one would argue the unsavory and possibly illegal actions that took place with regard to Kelly Thomas. However, that is no reason to pass judgment on all cops as having the same volatile attitude or ruthless demeanor. Most police officers take their job seriously and are out there to honestly ?protect and serve.?

There are ?bad seeds? in many professions, yet I am sure you have not developed a fear of those professions or professionals. I see no rational reason for fearing law enforcement as a whole.

Bulk up these postal rates

BUENA PARK, Marjorie Nagel: We hear so much about how ?broke? the Postal Service is. How about charging all of the political mailers and solicitors the mailing rate that the rest of us pay to mail a letter? I receive about 10 to 15 requests a day, asking for money for one cause or another, or requests for political donations. I notice that often the stamp on the envelope is 8 or 9 cents instead of 45 cents, like I have to pay when I mail a letter.

No going back in 2012

LAGUNA HILLS, Frankie Cyr: In response to letter-writer Connie Lanzisera [?Moral decline escalates,? May 11], I would like to say: Back to honor (George W. Bush avoided the Vietnam War.); back to personal responsibility (Bush does not heed warnings about possible terror attacks.); back to integrity (lying about weapons of mass destruction); back to individual choice (mostly for wealthy white males); back to marriage between a man and a woman (no personal choice for those born gay and what about ?all men are created equal? in our Constitution?); back to honesty (Where were those weapons of mass destruction?); back to success (November 2008 when the economy crashed due to pre-Obama policies); back to morality (Vice President Dick Cheney and Bush torture?); back to standing up for Americans (but only the rich ones).

Back before Obama? No way.

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ORANGE, Jerry Hoosier: I have been noticing perennial politicians trying to reinvent themselves. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is running for re-election on the basis that she has the experience and know-how to get us out of this economic tsunami. If so, why hasn?t she done it? Todd Spitzer, who was part of the clique that initiated huge public pensions, is running for county supervisor and now advocates pension reform. Ed Royce has always talked conservative but voted to raise the debt ceiling. Surprise, surprise. I have came to the conclusion our professional politicians will say anything to get elected.

It?s time we got rid of all of them and try something new. Reelecting them is like trying the same old thing, expecting different results. I recommend we send a message to all public officials that failure to get the job done will limit their tenure.

Teachers? union tyranny

NEWPORT BEACH, Christian Crampton: If the 340,000-plus members of the California Teachers Association continue to force their leftist agenda on all Californians isn?t tyranny, I don?t know what is. Thanks to the courage of writers Brian Calle and City Journal?s Troy Senik [?The colossus outside class,? Commentary, May 13] we can finally see why this state should fall apart both economically and, as it has already done, educationally. It?s not the individual teachers generally, but their leaders, whose actions are almost criminal.

And, worse yet, it probably won?t stop with a Democratic governor and a Legislature at the union?s service. It?s almost a parallel universe in Sacramento, where Republican or Democratic governors find themselves in ever-deeper debt.

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