Taxpayers paying more, getting less
Re “No-tax stance won’t solve state’s problems,” Column, April 16
George Skelton suggests that it is ill-advised for legislators to pledge to stop any state tax increase this year, arguing that “keeping up with growth requires increasingly larger per capita investments. That’s what logic and the evidence suggest.” Neither logic nor the evidence suggest any such thing. Economies of scale should reduce per capita expenditures as population grows -- not increase them. California ranks 11th in per capita state and local tax burden and 17th as a percentage of personal income. Texas, the next most populous state, ranks 34th and 42nd, respectively. California’s spending is growing as fast today as it did in the 1960s, even though our population growth rate has slowed by half. State government is now consuming the largest percentage of personal income in our history and yet delivering less.
SEN. TOM MCCLINTOCK
R-Thousand Oaks
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