Disagrees with superintendent on state budget woes

I disagree with the thrust of Superintendent Mario Contini's opinions in the Feb. 7 Thousand Oaks Acorn complaining that there will be draconian cuts to education in light of the state budget crisis. He implies, but never directly states, that he favors tax increases; he says the focus has been on "cuts . . . not revenue."

The state budget crisis is the result of voracious overspending by the Legislature; the Legislature added new programs and increased funding for many other programs but never set aside money for the inevitable rainy day, though many state legislatures did.

Now the state is, indeed, in debt and will either have to make major cuts, significantly raise taxes --which I wouldn't favor--or some of each.

I believe a careful examination of education spending would reveal plenty of areas for cuts which don't significantly affect the quality of education.

My biggest candidate would be "higher" education. I think the public would be shocked if they knew what salaries are being paid to prestigious professors at state universities because they "publish" and do research that has no real benefit to taxpayers.

I'm perfectly willing to pay taxes for top professors in the medical school, but not for the number of highly paid state professors in literature, art, philosophy, languages and many other subjects, which, l. have minimal benefit to the public and 2. might find good or even better instructors who haven't been published as much.

Additional areas at all levels which are ripe for cuts include travel, conferences, pay for top administrators and the number of administrators.

Another example: Berkeley Law School, from which I graduated, now has a death penalty clinic where students are trained to attempt to overturn death sentences, an activity which fits the school's far left ideological bent. Taxpayers shouldn't be expected to finance such student activities.

Dr. Contini would do well to remember that when the Legislature and Gray Davis tripled the car tax the last time the state had major financial problems, the governor was recalled.

In this already high-tax state, I'd oppose any further increase in taxes to produce more revenue.
Pete Kossoris
Thousand Oaks