Liberals got their way on budget

Dan Walters lambastes Republicans for opposing legislation to increase the amount withheld from our paychecks ("GOP politicos hide behind anti-tax facade," Page A3, Sept. 26).

Walters is wrong. Republicans did not embrace this budget. We proposed our own no-tax budget which fully funded education and eliminated a dangerous early release proposal. It did not include the withholding proposal, the governor's $5 billion tax increase or the Democrats' $9 billion tax hike.

Our plan was rejected by Democrats and the governor. They also refused to support our emergency legislation to pay nursing homes and businesses on the brink of bankruptcy due to the budget crisis.

Faced with this reality, Republicans recognized the need for a budget compromise. To suggest we embraced it is a stretch.

Walters is also wrong to suggest we are driven by a no-tax pledge. Republicans sincerely believe that taxes will hurt families and the economy. Making our case, the State Board of Equalization estimated that the governor's sales tax hike would have killed 58,000 jobs.

The record is clear – Republicans opposed the withholding tax proposal when it first appeared from the governor's Department of Finance and fought instead for more spending reductions to balance the budget. Unfortunately, the liberal majority got its way once again.

– Mike Villines, Sacramento

Assembly Republican leader

GOP is obstructionist

Re "Here's how stupid we are" (Letters, Sept. 26): The only reason California has the fiscal problems it has is because minority Republicans have the power to obstruct responsible spending and taxes that this state requires. How does John S. Clancy propose improving infrastructure when he and his party don't want to pay for it? Increase the debt? When legislative Republicans were pressed to show where they would cut the expenses, they refused because they can't. And the only freedom I know that is being infringed upon is the right to marry whom you please, which is backed by anti-freedom Republicans.

This lack of reason and absence of logic pollutes the ballot box and fouls our collective future.

– Robert Cortvriendt, Sacramento

In support of regional planning bill

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments is a board composed of six counties (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba) and the 22 cities within these counties. The SACOG board, by a 27-1 vote, has endorsed Senate Bill 375, the regional planning and global warming bill. SB 375 provides regulatory streamlining that will reduce the cost of housing for homebuyers and renters, and is the kind of "no cost" economic stimulus program needed in these tough financial times.

The bill also reduces the operating costs of homeownership by giving people many more options to travel in an era of $4-a-gallon gasoline and by reducing the length of their car trips by putting employment, housing and services closer together in the future. Our research shows this will result in saved fuel costs of hundreds of millions of dollars annually for our citizens. Our homebuilding industry is also badly hurting, and this relief could not be better timed for the benefit of our economy.

All of California needs the innovative benefits to the environment and to the economy represented in SB 375. We need the governor's continued leadership on these critical issues.

– Tom Cosgrove, Lincoln

SACOG board chair

Lincoln City Council member

Investing in cleaner ports

California faces a crisis of pollution from the ports and the movement of cargo to and from the ports. According to the state Air Resources Board, each year, this pollution kills 3,700 Californians prematurely, in addition to hospital admissions from asthma, worker sick days and missed school days. And it will get worse as port traffic is expected to triple in less than 20 years. In addition to health costs, congestion cost the state of California more than $14.5 billion in 2005.