Mistake Known as the Tax Hike

Regarding “ ‘Tax Revolt’ Endures Despite New Increases”: I think the items Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature chose to raise the levies on showed a singular lack of imagination.

Newspaper reading should definitely not be penalized--there are too many uninformed, ill-read Californians as it is. Taking candy from children, so to speak, is just plain mean--an easy target. The same applies to snack foods, periodicals and bottled water.

I do not object to the imposition of new taxes on any kind of fossil fuel, however, whether it’s for aircraft or cars, nor on any kind of alcohol, the former being environmentally destructive and the latter socially and physically detrimental.

In future, when tax increases become necessary, the Legislature ought to continue along the line of levying tax increases on products, possessions or activities that are harmful to the environment. Such taxes ultimately at least make sense and may even have a beneficial effect by reducing our use of environmentally unfriendly products.

MOIRA T. PITT, Huntington Beach