Have the Courage to Reinstate License Fee

Re “O.C., Cities Fear Big Budget Cuts,” Dec. 12:

Thank you for the story, which includes the disaster faced by our new city of Laguna Woods. According to City Manager Leslie Keane, the vehicle license fee makes up $2.8 million of our $4.8-million general fund. Without the backfill promised by Gov. Schwarzenegger, our city will have to reduce its staff from eight to three, move out of our new subleased City Hall to a storefront and cut police protection.

What is missing from all The Times’ news stories is the history of vehicle license fees. Gov. Davis did not triple the car tax. He simply restored the tax from .67% to its 50-year level of 2%, before Gov. Pete Wilson cut it. He had no option.

Gov. Davis showed courage in restoring the fee to 2%. The loss of $4 billion of this revenue at a time when the state is in a financial crisis is unacceptable and suicidal. If Gov. Schwarzenegger wants to demonstrate real political courage and fiscal responsibility, he will reinstate the 2% vehicle license fee -- a fee that never prevented Californians from buying more cars than they needed for 68 years.

Dave Blodgett

Laguna Woods