LETTERS

Re “The ballot box is no cure-all,” Column, and “Cavernous California loopholes,” Opinion, April 30

On Thursday, we read Lenny Goldberg’s excellent Op-Ed article on an absurd deal made by Sacramento politicians in the last budget agreement that permanently cuts corporate taxes by as much as 25% to 30%, beginning in 2011, just to get an accelerated payment of corporate taxes for two years.

Meanwhile, like a broken record, George Skelton continued to lament the two-thirds majority required for passage of the budget and tax increases. He emphatically recommends letting the majority party pass budgets and tax increases with a simple majority.

We all know how that would turn out. Even Skelton was critical of the Democrats in their state convention, describing them as being “oblivious to the growing deficits.”

As for term limits, which he claims have “robbed the Capitol of experienced legislators,” the voting public is rightly skeptical of the wisdom of these politicians.

Skelton is correct that this is a “message election.” But it is not just a message for politicians, but also for Skelton.

Thomas Oatway

Valencia

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Is it not a bit ironic that those who profess to be the most patriotic are also those who are least willing to pay their share of the tax burden?

We are in the midst of the greatest economic downturn since the Depression. The most fortunate and affluent in our society, including the allies of business, should consider it deeply patriotic to help their country financially in a time of urgent need.

Omar Duran

Compton