Proposal to Hike State Sales Tax

Your editorial “The Governor Accepts the Budget Leadership” (April 30) on Gov. Wilson’s proposed sales tax increase has left me asking myself several questions: Is not the state’s present financial woes partly a result of reduced consumer spending? If we further tax that consumer spending, are we not looking at further reductions? In the last two years consumers in this state have been subjected to increases in both sales and gas taxes, and now there are rumors of even more to come. Where is it all going to end?

While in a recession, I do not believe that we can afford to place more obstacles in the path of consumer spending. The state should have a vested interest in seeing us through this recession and not aid in perpetuating it. A reduction in the budget is the only sound method of dealing with the deficit.

DENNIS A. LORD

Covina