Tax hikes in disguise
Re “Cutting politics out of the cuts,” Opinion, April 10
Robert Krol implies in his Op-Ed article that we should avoid tax increases and implement budget cuts instead.
A lot of times, the difference between tax increases and budget cuts is an imaginary one. When we cut the budget, we implicitly tax people who have to cover the difference.
A case in point is educational cuts: What sounds like avoiding a tax increase is really taxing the parents who have to contribute to fundraisers to keep the schools running.
We have to look at the overall picture and then we’ll see the hidden taxes that are not spelled out on tax forms. Proper analysis of the state budget should not choose between taxes and cuts but should come up with the best overall strategy.
Igor Koyfman
Los Angeles
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