State Budget Problems
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As you reported (Sept. 6) the direction of future state budgets does not look good. No politician is willing to bite the bullet with the public by telling the truth: Taxes on personal incomes must go up.
Let me throw out a concept of a way to boost the economy while increasing taxes by the smallest amount possible: Why not increase the personal income tax and at the same time decrease the state sales tax by an equal dollar amount in terms of overall revenue presently collected? This should stimulate business by increasing the buying power of the average Californian, and cause revenue collected at the state level to increase.
We all know the state has a problem; the real question is how can it be solved in the least painful way possible.
MICHAEL L. STEMPEL, West Hollywood
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