Opinion: All it took for state legislators to raise the gas tax was a little pork

To the editor: Infuriating. New taxes should be put to a vote of the people, not state legislators, who clearly can be bought if the goodies those taxes would fund benefit only their constituents. (“Nearly $1 billion in side deals by Gov. Brown and Democratic leaders cemented the legislative vote to raise the gas tax,” April 9)

The people of California would have voted no on a 12-cent gas tax hike and a new vehicle registration fee — I would bet my life on that. If the tax were, say, 3 cents per gallon to pay for infrastructure repair, voters might have gone for it, but 12 cents plus the registration hike is a travesty.

I’m moving out of California as soon as I retire, which can’t come soon enough.

Debbie Murray, Glendale

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To the editor: Gov. Jerry Brown called the promised funding of pet projects “arrangements.” I would just call them “pork.”

Mark Stephen Mrotek, Carson

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To the editor: Is “deal” the new four-letter word for bribes?

Kathleen Collins, Santa Monica

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