Letters to the Editor: Don’t let Trump use California as a ‘banking service’ while hitting state with massive cuts

To the editor: Now that the Trump administration has canceled $30 million in FEMA earthquake retrofit grants to California, on top of the recent cancellation of $85.6 million to Santa Clara County related to public health and the $312 million cut to research grants that has stunned and decimated the research community, it is time for California to withhold all or some of its federal taxes (“California FEMA earthquake retrofit grants canceled, imperiling critical work, Schiff says,” May 21). This year, California ranks #49 in the amount of federal grants given to states and that’s before the cancellations.

California pays more federal taxes than any other state, the biggest donor of all in 2022. Fair enough since we are a populous and affluent state, but we must respond to these cuts and more that are devastating the California economy and the services we all rely upon. The Trump administration understands only transactional financial actions, so it’s time to make it realize it cannot continue to use California as a banking service that supports its atrocious policies.

Sharon Markenson, Woodland Hills