State Disability Deduction, Benefits

Re “Tax Foe Davis Quietly OKs New Payroll Bite,” Dec. 14:

It is nice to see that we are not receiving an increase in our taxes, even though we will see a new payroll deduction in our compensation, effective Jan. 1. Gov. Gray Davis signed the bill, but his administration insists it is a “premium” increase and not a tax increase. I guess this enables the governor to maintain he has kept his campaign promise of less than a year ago that he would not increase taxes.

I am not worried about future tax increases from this administration. It is the future “fee” and “premium” increases the governor and the Legislature probably have planned for us that give me concern.

TOM GHYSELS

Whittier

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To increase state disability insurance benefits is outrageous. Social Security’s maximum payment under SSDI is only $1,417 per month and the state of California, under the old benefit payment, was $1,431 per month and now it jumps to $2,107 per month.

What gets me really mad is that pregnancy counts as a disability! Why should taxpayers pay for a man and a woman to have a child, and when the child is born the man and woman end up paying less taxes than persons without children. Davis should not have signed this bill. I hope the antitax groups get an initiative on the ballot to overturn this new law and to restrict SDI to those who have serious injuries.

TOM MARTIN

West Hollywood

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On Page 1, a Democratic governor raises our taxes. On Page 3, Republican state senators tell us how they will spend our tax money (“GOP Senators Unveil Plan for Surplus,” Dec. 14). You’ll pardon me for not turning to Page 4.

JOHN CROWLEY

Redondo Beach