What’s Wrong With ‘Pay as You Go’?

Re “Budget Deal Ends Weeks of Stalemate,” July 27: I sure wish someone would explain to me why supposedly conservative Republicans prefer “borrow and spend” over “tax and spend.”

Even at today’s low interest rates, this year’s huge borrowing will cost us taxpayers far, far more over the long haul than paying now via taxes. What’s the fiscal sense in that?

Oh, I forgot -- these legislators will be long out of office by then.

Rodney Hoffman

Los Angeles

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Re “California Pays Dearly for All That Borrowing,” July 24: Surprise, surprise! Now will we finally get real in California? Did we really think that budget deficits requiring borrowing are only harmless political tap-dancing between the parties? The Republicans are unrealistically dead set against any increase in taxes of any kind at any time. Democrats seem ready to raise taxes to pay for state services but are cowardly about the backwash that might result therefrom.

Both political parties are willing, apparently, to pay huge fees to Wall Street investment firms for enabling the state to borrow billions of dollars to make up for deficit spending and to allow our kids and grandkids to pay the huge interest on the built-up deficit that follows.

There is a better way: Pay as we go. But that requires backbone, courage and imagination, all qualities that appear to be in short supply with our elected officials, including the governor.

Charles R. Barr

Upland