Fresh Ideas Needed on State’s Fiscal Woes

Couldn’t the state raise an awful lot of money with a small increase in the sales tax? It seems like the fairest way to spread a needed tax increase equally among all California residents and would collect a large portion from visitors to the state. We don’t know what percentage would be required to do the job, but it could be canceled as soon as the budget is balanced. It would raise needed funds without taking away from schools or public safety. With inflation as low as it is, we can’t see where a small sales tax increase would hurt, and we wouldn’t be strapping our children and grandchildren with the burden of paying off long-term bonds.

Gene and Carol Ewald

Oxnard

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What has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told us since he took office? There is no massive waste, fraud or abuse that we can eliminate to pay for the programs we want, including health care for the poorest and services for the disabled; we cannot eliminate the vehicle registration fee and still fund local services such as fire and police; we cannot keep government income at its present level and still fully support grade-school education; and the governor can’t do anything about any of this: It is all the fault of the Legislature. Why did we recall Gov. Gray Davis?

John Hamilton Scott

Sherman Oaks