Letters: Climate change + Dairy industry + GOP tax plan
Climate solutions
Re “The good news? Gov. Brown has world’s attention on climate. The bad news? There’s no time to lose” (Editorials, Nov. 12): We’re ignoring climate solutions that’ll work. California’s newly renewed cap and trade is only a baby step toward stronger legislation that’s needed. Californians understand the problem, but even now politicians block real solutions. We all respond to prices. A market-based approach with higher prices for fossil fuel is our grandchildren’s only hope.
John Schaefer, Arcata
Dairy exports
Re “Got milk? Ending NAFTA could sour California’s booming dairy industry” (California Forum, Nov. 12): I know from the dairy ads that cows are much happier in California than Wisconsin where it snows. Poor cows. But if, as Tom Visack writes, “Dairy’s future looks promising, thanks in large part to exports,” the dairy industry should be traded out for other job-creating industries. As we know, cows are one of the largest contributor to greenhouse pollution in California and a main consumer of our precious water. Why does California keep exporting so many goods to Asia, including dairy, almonds and pistachios, that consume so much water? It doesn’t make sense.
Jan McCleery, Discovery Bay
Hidden charges
Re “Seven ways the Republican tax plan will hurt Californians, especially veterans in need” (Dan Morain, Nov. 12): The proposed House and Senate tax bill includes one hidden change that will be detrimental to any selling homeowner who has owned the home for less than five years. This proposal will impact homeowners in all 50 states. The current maturity for the $250,000 single/$500,000 married capital gains exclusion is two years. The proposed tax bill no longer will allow this capital gains exclusion, unless you have resided in your home for at least five years. This could result in taxes in excess of what the seller expected to pay, potentially in the hundreds of thousands. This bill would be onerous to families planning to move up, move down or those with unexpected job transfers. At best, this is unfair and bad tax reform for middle-class homeowners.
Rolandus Roosenboom, Cameron Park
Tom McClintock
Re “If it’s going to hurt Californians, a conservative says, postpone some of the tax plan” (California Forum, Nov. 12): Sensing that the tax “reform”-cash-for-elites redistribution scheme will only get harder to pass as Trumplandia caves in, Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, wants to at least get something for his donors ASAP. His sham argument in his own words: “Those who dismiss this as ‘tax cuts for wealthy corporations’ don’t understand the dirty little secret of corporate taxation: corporations don’t pay corporate taxes – they only collect them. The only people who pay corporate taxes are consumers through higher prices, employees through lower wages and investors through lower earnings, think pensions and 401(k)’s.” The dirtier secret is that prices are set by the market, not by corporations with a tax break. Corporations are sitting on mountains of cash, yet have not raised wages for years.
Greg Sazima, Granite Bay
A lame attempt
Rep. Tom McClintock’s lame attempt to promote the GOP’s corporate tax giveaway fails on every level. On a national level, it saddles the country with a $1.7 trillion deficit increase. On a state level, it soaks California’s middle classes, including in his 4th District constituents. Do you claim a deduction on your federal taxes for state and local taxes paid? The GOP bill will cost you a bundle. And on a personal level, it exposes McClintock, R-Elk Grove, who purports to be a fiscal conservative and deficit hawk, as a hypocrite.
Ginger Rutland, Sacramento
McClintock is right
Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, is right: Californians should not be thrown under the bus as the result of the GOP tax bill. Unlike Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, McClintock apparently recognizes he represents California taxpayers, a large percentage of whom will be subject to tax increases because of insidious changes designed to redistribute wealth from the blue states to the red states. New York Republican representatives have declared they are fighting for their residents and voting no on the tax bill. Where do you stand, Kevin McCarthy?
John Briggs, Fair Oaks
This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 4:54 AM with the headline "Letters: Climate change + Dairy industry + GOP tax plan."