Inequalities Riddle Tax Proposals

Re “Tax Hike for Firms Urged,” Oct. 30: Teachers want to sock it to businesses, so they can avoid pay cuts. This is so typical today: each group thinking it can live at the expense of others. Surely, all our problems can be solved just by forcing higher taxes on all the businesses selling the products we buy. As though these businesses won’t have to raise prices, or lay off workers. After all, businesses are evil, greedy capitalists. Not like the wonderful public servants who only have “the children” in mind. And these are the people we trust to educate the next generation.

Eric Taylor

Sunland

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The initiative proposed by the California Teachers Assn. to increase property taxes on businesses defies logic. Why not have an education tax based upon how many children a family has? The more children a family has, the more that family pays in education tax.

If this seems unfair to some, remember that a family with children receives a tax credit for each child and a family that doesn’t have children receives no such tax credit. It’s almost as if the government is subsidizing children and socialistically funding education.

Helping to fund education by taxing a family based upon how many children it has would ease the burden on businesses and property owners.

Larry Bush

Teacher and CTA Member

Corona

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Re “Baca, Bratton Issue Pleas for More Funds,” Oct. 29: Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca wants to raise the sales tax. Baca is another highly paid government employee who prefers regressive taxation instead of the income tax for government funds. I strongly oppose any form of regressive taxes to run government programs. I am a fixed-income senior with declining purchasing power yearly.

Taxes should be based on one’s ability to pay, proportionate to one’s income. The sales tax is a higher proportion of my income than Baca’s. The income tax is already in place. I’ll accept a percentage increase of my gross income if Baca will accept the same percentage of his. Regressive taxes must be reduced, not increased.

Carol Clever

Torrance