Gotch and the Budget
Tony Perry, in his recent missive against Assemblyman Mike Gotch (D-San Diego) has demonstrated his lack of understanding of the state budget crisis (“San Diego at Large,” May 31). Perry’s assertion that Gotch’s campaign to fight elimination of the second home mortgage interest deduction would take money from education is nonsense. In fact, there is no correlation between the two.
In reality, Assemblyman Gotch has been one of the strongest defenders of public-school funding, vowing not to succumb to the mounting pressure to suspend Proposition 98, the school funding guarantee.
Gotch’s pledge to fight elimination of the second home mortgage interest deduction makes good sense, as does his promise to resist the governor’s plan to slash the renter’s credit and increase university student fees.
Elimination of the mortgage interest deduction, the renter’s credit, and increasing student fees would free up only $350 million annually, a fraction of the state’s $14.3-billion deficit.
To suggest, as Perry does, that this $350-million “savings” would somehow be applied to education or solve the crisis in education, demonstrates a lack of understanding of the complexities of the state budget.
Monies saved through elimination of the programs are not earmarked for other programs, they are absorbed into the state’s general fund.
BENITA BERKSON, San Diego
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