California’s sorry state

Re “California Legislature finally approves new budget,” Web, Feb. 19

It was just a matter of time before enough Republicans would cave to the spendthrift majority in our pathetic Legislature and our governor, and sell California taxpayers down the river again.

Do these fools really believe that these “temporary” tax increases will generate anything near their preposterous assumptions? We already suffer under the most suffocating tax system in the country, and they increase taxes even higher? During a recession?

All this will do is accelerate the diaspora of productive, hardworking people fleeing this unlivable state. I guarantee the problem will be worse next time, but I may well not be here by then. For the first time in my long life here, I am seriously considering moving -- I don’t know where, anywhere but here -- to escape this populist hellhole.

Rick Mork

San Marino

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I truly cannot tell which is worse: Republicans who are so opposed to taxes that they were willing to let the state cease functioning instead of passing a budget, or Democrats who are so opposed to an open primary system that they were willing to let the state cease functioning instead of putting the issue before the people.

Thank you, Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) for bucking your party’s ideology and demanding an open primary system. Hopefully that reform -- combined with Proposition 11, passed last year -- will bring some much-needed change to Sacramento.

Pierre G. Basmaji

San Diego