Beth's Letter To Editor published in LA Times

My wife, Beth, had her letter to the LA Times editor published on Thursday.

Re "Tax Breaks Intensify State Fiscal Debate," news analysis, Jan. 24: We agree that all Californians should be asked to do their fair share, including our largest corporations and wealthiest residents, particularly those who have benefited greatly from recent federal tax cuts. Budgets are not simply financial documents; they are moral and political statements about government's priorities and choices.

The governor and our elected leaders are making the wrong choices for California's children by taking any discussion of taxes and needed reforms out of the equation in their approach to balancing the budget. We urge our governor and elected leaders to support a budget that makes better choices for California's children, helping the more than 1.7 million children who already struggle with poverty, and the more than 750,000 children who lack any type of health insurance.

Beth Osthimer
Director
Children's Defense Fund, California
Los Angeles