Schwarzenegger’s Get-Out-of-Debt Plan

Re “Assembly Passes Fiscal Plan,” Dec. 12: In the early days of television, there was a finance company that advertised its loan consolidation program. The huckster actually said, “Now you can borrow enough money to get completely out of debt.” I found this amusing, because I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for it. Now, when the governor and Legislature say, “Now you can borrow $15 billion to get completely out of debt,” I am not amused. Transferring your debts to your credit card does not balance your budget. Selling bonds is no better than transferring debt -- except that you can make the next generation pay for today’s excesses.

So, when asked to approve this sleight of hand next March, I will vote no, recognizing that the consequences will be drastic. My taxes will go up substantially to pay for the debt incurred by the current crop of politicians in Sacramento. Voting no may be the only way to hold them accountable. When they ask us to reelect them next November, having paid the taxes may remind us of their performance.

Bob Wicks

Brea

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I have one question for Republicans. Who pays to change the highway construction signs from “Your Tax Dollars at Work” to “Your Grandchildren’s Tax Dollars at Work”?

John Boydstun

Woodland Hills

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As the parent of a child with a disability, I have seen firsthand how effective state programs can be for the disabled. Now, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has apparently decided to balance the state budget on the backs of children with disabilities by making deep cuts in services these children desperately need. This situation is doubly tragic because the governor gave no indication of these cuts during his Hollywood-style campaign. Now it has come to this: The action hero says “Hasta la vista” to disabled children. He should be ashamed.

John Lloyd

Sierra Madre

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OK, folks, the increase in auto license fees was repealed, and you can buy more Christmas presents. Boy, did you show them! You got rid of that terrible governor who kept saying California needed the money to maintain services. Now we all face vast reductions in services. What did you think the money was to be used for, landscaping the governor’s front yard?

Elizabeth Wright

Marina del Rey

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Former Gov. Gray Davis had basically the right idea in obtaining more revenue by increasing the motor vehicle fees, except that this was too extreme and singled out only one segment of the population. The proposed interim solutions, such as borrowing, will not solve the problem. It will only come to haunt us later.

What is needed is a percentage tax increase for everyone. We should all pay for our needs at a time when other sources have diminished, rather than solve the problem on the backs of disabled children and adults. The time has come for all of us to pitch in and get our state’s finances back in shape.

Paul Victor

Pasadena

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Schwarzenegger lied to the citizens of California. Recall him.

Steven N. Copley

Harbor City