Funding deficits came from the right

I’ll agree that the State of California and Butte County have let down on their funding of social services, including welfare benefits & public health to qualified Chico recipients (“Chico not to blame for homelessness issue,” ER 12/24).

However, it is important to note two watershed historic events originating from the right side of the political spectrum that have significantly contributed to this funding deficit:

In 1967, the State of California was one of the first states to deinstitutionalize mentally ill patients (the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act) championed by then-governor Ronald Reagan. This act had a profoundly negative impact on the lives of the mentally ill, often leading to a futile cycle of homelessness, incarceration, and “brief” periods of hospitalization.

The 1987 Jarvis- Gann Proposition 13 Tax Initiative. The unintended consequences of this tax revolt were substantial, most notably the demise of the property tax as a local revenue source and the loss of local authority. Proposition 13 hurt local communities, schools and infrastructure.

It is disingenuous to say that cities such as Chico don’t have some financial responsibility for social services for their citizens.

Just off the top of my head, here are a few locally administered services whose funding funnels down from federal, state and county sources that have a significant impact on homelessness:

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title 1, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Block Grants (that help support various broad purpose programs, such as law enforcement, social services, public health, and community development).

— Mark S. Gailey, Chico