Costa Mesa’s Surplus and Tax Refunds

The Times carried an editorial, “It’s Ridiculous” (Feb. 12), covering the Costa Mesa surplus taxes collected from its citizens and businesses.

You cite the premise of the ill-conceived Gann Initiative. Ill-conceived? For what? The Gann Initiative came about because of state government circumventing the Jarvis Amendment, Proposition 13. What The Times editorial is really restating is the socialist-democratic thesis of large central government knows best and must be allowed sufficient resources (taxes) to perform its nationally planned economy.

I suggest the taxes we pay on all goods and services will seldom be enough to satisfy the appetite of government bureaucracies, which are monopolies and, as such, have no competition to keep them honest or frugal. Therefore, the only goal is to acquire more taxes to spend.

Don’t begrudge Costa Mesa a tax refund. After all, taxes have to be taken away from citizens before they can be given back.

TOM STEELE

Fountain Valley