Measures M and N

Jay Curtis, in urging voters to reject Measures M and N (“Cut the Frills to Hire Police,” Commentary, Oct. 29), argued that the percentage of the city’s budget that goes to police is smaller today than it was the year after Prop. 13 cut property taxes. That is simply not true!

An accurate comparison of police expenditures for fiscal years 1992-93 and 1978-79 (when Prop. 13 went into effect) requires that we include not just police salaries for those years, but also police pensions, health insurance for Police Department employees, and other related costs.

The cost of running the Los Angeles Police Department this fiscal year will total $945 million, which is 42.6% of the “unrestricted” portion of the budget (i.e., that part of the budget that is not legally committed to programs other than police). In 1978-79, we spent 43.6% of our budget on police. Then, we had 7,300 officers on the street; now, there are about 7,900. In other words, for approximately the same commitment of funds, we’re getting almost 600 more cops. We were able to do this by cutting frills and consolidating city services.

In the years since 1978, the primary increase in city spending has come in the areas of health insurance and workers’ compensation, and on programs that bring Los Angeles into compliance with new state and federal environmental laws.

Someone has to level with the people of this city: There is no free lunch. If we want a functional 911 system and 1,000 additional police officers, we’re going to have to pay for them. It’s time for all of us in Los Angeles to ask: What kind of a city do we want for ourselves and our children? How badly do we want it? And are we willing to pay for it? A “yes” vote on M and N should be L.A.’s answer to these questions.

ZEV YAROSLAVSKY, Chairman, Budget and Finance Committee, Los Angeles City Council