Taxes Pay for Attractive Services and Amenities

In “State Taxes Rank in U.S. Upper Tier” (March 30), state Senate Minority Leader Jim Brulte (R-Rancho Cucamonga) opposes any tax hikes at this time because he claims they will drive individuals and businesses out of California. He cites the anecdote of a chief operating officer at a corporation who does not want to be a California citizen when he cashes in his stock options because of the tax rate.

Brulte should remember that taxes help to pay for many of the necessities and amenities that attract and retain taxpayers. People move to new places or stay in their current ones because of good schools, attractive parks, interesting museums, reliable police and fire departments, smooth roads and a variety of other public services. If a low rate were the overriding concern for most taxpayers, wouldn’t they move to Alabama, since it has the lowest U.S. tax burden, instead of staying in California? The fact that Californians tend to remain here -- and that many non-Californians move here daily -- suggests the tax rate is not the most important factor in people’s decisions about where to live. Brulte should direct his ire at the misuse of public money rather than its necessary and valuable collection.

Terence Young

Pasadena

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Re “Democrats Set Political Agenda for Forums,” March 31: The Democrats are squandering an opportunity to educate the public on the difficult choices entailed in balancing the state budget. Rather than engage the public in how we can collectively solve the budget crisis, whether through spending cuts, tax increases, public/private partnerships in delivering services or, better yet, fresh ideas, they are offering staged roadshows. It’s unconscionable!

Why not undertake a healthy examination of state programs, public finance and public responsibilities? Instead, what should be an effort to awaken Californians’ sense of community and civic responsibility is being channeled into political theater. It just goes to show that even in the face of crisis, the search for narrow-minded partisan advantage is hard to pass up.

Frank Albers

Seal Beach