Dear Editor:

Politicians need to step up to the plate to make the hard decisions as to what the budgetary priorities must be.  The answer is not making financial cuts across the board and balancing the budget on the backs of our children’s education and on our need for safety.

The Governor is making another poor decision by releasing 20,000 prisoners early in an attempt to help balance his budget.  These criminals were put in prison for a good reason, to protect the public.  By letting the prisoners out early, they will commit more crimes, having not learned from their prior mistakes and thus creating a serious danger to the public once again.  This will also, in the long run, cost the tax payers more because many of these same criminals come back through the system numerous times.

Instead of taking the easy way out, and balancing our State finances at the determent of safety and education, the Legislature and Governor should take the time to examine the State Budget and see what can be cut out. 

One area which can be examined is overlapping of Federal and State Regulatory Agencies.  If the Federal Government is already paying for this service, there is no reason for the State of California taxpayers to pay again through the State Government.  Another area to cut are State Agencies who no longer serve the purpose for which they were created.  I believe that there are many agencies that have outlived their usefulness or were never properly created in the first place.

Let’s save our children’s education and let us protect our community.  We need to make informed budgetary decisions, not take the easy way out.

Steve Fox