‘Tax Increases’ Enters Governor’s Vocabulary

Re “Tax Opposition May Be ‘Wishful,’ Gov. Says,” March 31: So Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has finally said that we may need to raise taxes. Having to raise taxes comes as no surprise to those of us who voted against him in the recall. This means that the governor wasn’t bright enough to understand the basic income/outgo of economics, or he did understand it and simply lied to the public during the campaign for the sole purpose of getting elected. Some more basic economics: The $75 million spent on the recall election was a complete waste of money.

Kenneth Burke

Anaheim Hills

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Tax increases amount to a bailout of an increasingly inefficient operation, i.e., our state government. The services provided right now simply cost too much. We should demand more for less, from government as well as private industry. The U.S. productivity index had shown steady increases, but for some reason this index does not include government services.

The government needs to downsize, cut high administrative salaries and eliminate separate and unfair benefits and pension plans (enroll all government employees in Social Security). And don’t let us taxpayers be liable for every government agency’s lost lawsuit. How did the litigators manage to make us liable? By financing the campaigns of the politicians who have betrayed us.

Ivar Schoenmeyr

San Juan Capistrano

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I think Steve Lopez was too kind to the governor by stating that he “inherited” the budget mess (March 31). As I recall, Schwarzenegger bought this mess gleefully and with open arms. He relished the opportunity to go to Sacramento and find those weapons of mass destruction, WMD -- excuse me, those massive deposits of waste, MDW -- which he was going to expose and eliminate for the salvation of our state. So, Mr. Lopez, please go back to telling it like it is, the way you used to.

Gene Kalland

Baywood Park, Calif.

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The governor was elected on a pledge to not increase taxes. Could his change of mind be related to the real possibility of initiatives on the November ballot that will raise taxes on the 1% of the most affluent Californians, people who have benefited greatly from both federal and state tax reductions of recent years?

The governor claims that wealthy special interests, which have contributed heavily to his election and to bond-issue campaigns, do not influence his policies. But one wonders if the governor could protect these special interests from tax increases in November by raising taxes on the other 99% of us this spring.

Robert Mason

Los Angeles

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To say the word “tax” is akin to holding the cross in front of Dracula. Run away, run away. Well, Gov. Schwarzenhummer, start running. While you are running, take with you all weak-kneed, term-limited legislators. They’re in Sacramento to look for another job by sucking up to the lobbying elite.

Want an example of how to govern? You went to NYC to get money, but you missed the message. Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- facing a financial crisis -- borrowed a bit, raised taxes and cut spending.

Governing requires guts, not showmanship. Leadership, not passing the buck to the voters.

Leo Galcher

San Clemente

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Last year I received a bill from the state Board of Equalization for sales tax on a watch I bought on a trip to Europe. If it can do that, it can find a way to charge sales tax on the millions of dollars of mail-order merchandise that comes into our state every day. That would go a long way to help the budget shortfall.

Maybe this would be a good place to try a national sales tax that would be sent back to the states. This would go a long way to help balance the playing field for California retailers as well as helping the states.

Arnie Sperling

Los Angeles

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So, Arnold now has “raising taxes” in his vocabulary. And he thinks President Bush can win here? Well, I didn’t have to go to the comics for my first good laugh of the day!

Bob Winners

Glendale