EDITORIAL : FORWARD TOGETHER REGIONAL ISSUES REQUIRE BIPARTISAN COOPERATION.

AS many Californians can attest, there are some disadvantages to living in the nation's most populous state. Drawbacks range from jam-packed freeways to NIMBY (not in my back yard) opposition to development.

But there are some advantages, too. One is having 54 Californians in Congress and the U.S. Senate - the largest state delegation in U.S. history.

With so many VIPs representing California (52 in Congress, plus Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein), it really is mind-boggling to imagine the clout they could exert if they worked as a unified, coordinated state delegation.

That's especially true in contrast to seven states with only two senators and a single member of Congress apiece (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming). Six other states have just four-person delegations.

But the Californians seldom work in concert, whether due to partisan politics or other reasons. For example, in 1986 the lack of unity resulted in a decision to put a $25-million earthquake research center at the State University of New York instead of here in the nation's earthquake capital.

California lost out again in 1987 when the contract for the multibillion-dollar Superconducting Supercollider went to Texas, whose congressional delegation worked as a team. Other examples also could be cited.

Of course, there also were instances of cooperation, such as after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake when officials put aside their differences for the good of the hard-hit region. The Golden State could benefit if such cooperation was more common.

Thankfully, we see that a movement is under way to achieve that type of harmony. A regional organization, the Southern California Association of Governments, has invited the six-county region's congressional representatives and the state's two U.S. senators to attend a first-of-its-kind summit meeting Monday in Los Angeles.

More than 10 of those officials have agreed to participate in the meeting, which is designed to promote unified positions on regional economic issues for the benefit of all Californians. The agenda will include cooperation in seeking federal transportation funds, watching for further military base closures and obtaining more benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Such a gathering is a terrific idea, and we also are pleased to see that SCAG (which serves a six-county, 188-city region) intends to make the summit a yearly event.

We urge all public officials to support such efforts. After all, people don't have to see eye-to-eye to work shoulder-to-shoulder.