Governor Will Bypass Legislature for Funds

Re “Governor to Speed Local Funds,” Dec. 18: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may be a political novice, but he is certainly a quick study. He gets elected by promising voters a $4-billion car-tax rebate while ignoring the giant hole his tax break will create in the budgets of local governments. After he gets elected and the cities and counties cry foul over their lost funds, he blames the Democrats in the Legislature for the problem. Now the governor is riding to the rescue by declaring an emergency that allows him to take money away from state programs and give it to the cities and counties.

What a story. Hollywood has definitely come to Sacramento.

Tom Difloure

Marina del Rey

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Isn’t it obvious that Schwarzenegger is forced to take measures such as bypassing the California lawmakers and ordering payments made to cities and counties when faced with a largely Democratic Legislature, led by the cantankerous Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, determined to make political mincemeat out of even the best of his efforts?

Sunny Kreis

Santa Monica

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I own a boat that is on a trailer. The trailer has a PTI (permanent trailer identification) sticker, which means I pay no yearly fees on it. The CF identification sticker for the boat costs $10 every other year. I wouldn’t mind paying a little more to help the state’s money problems, and with all the boats and trailers in the state, a considerable amount of revenue could probably be raised. Of course, this suggestion is going to anger a lot of boat and trailer owners, but we all have to pitch in when times are tough and we still expect to receive government services.

Jim Krause

Atascadero

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The Legislature should propose an initiative to be put on the ballot, alongside the bond initiative, to have a one-time sales tax increase with a sunset clause that kicks in when the desired revenue goal is reached. This would give voters a clear choice.

A. Wilson Smith

Palm Desert