Tax Hike

IT WOULDN'T be budget season without someone floating a proposal to raise the city income tax that's collected "piggyback" with the state levy. Set at 50 percent of the state rate, the city tax hasn't changed since being installed in 1967. Given Baltimore's dramatic decline in population and tax base since then, it makes sense to adjust the piggyback to help offset revenue losses. But people won't accept a tax boost just to maintain the status quo, and that's all politicians are promising.

Your Dec. 22 editorial "The GOP tax hike" could just as easily have been titled "The Democratic tax hike," with the sub-headline: "By rejecting the House's tax-cut extension for one year, which President Obama asked for, the Senate put the U.S. economy at risk. " This would have been a failure of both parties - not to mention a total lack of leadership and involvement by the president. Lyle Rescott, Marriottsville

Initially the Democrats wanted a one-year extension of the payroll tax hike. Now that it's offered to them, they won't accept it. ("The GOP tax hike," Dec. 23.) Now that the two-month extension has passed, what does that do for the economy and the taxpayers? We'd have this same scenerio played out again in February. This could potentially go on for the whole year over and over and over. How demeaning for The Sun to mention the Wall Street Journal as "our ultraconservative brethren" in their editorial?

The alcohol tax increase may be good politics, as Vincent DeMarco says in his letter ("Dime-a-drink alcohol tax increase is good policy and good politics", March 8), but no one should be fooled into thinking it's good policy. During the senate hearing on this tax hike that Mr. DeMarco's letter references, most of the testimony focused on the supposed benefits this tax hike would provide to people with disabilities. What the tax supporters failed to note is the legislation earmarks only 15 percent of the money to help people with developmental disabilities.

With all the talk about a 10-cent gas tax increase, one has to wonder what would happen if Maryland went ahead and increased the gas tax by $2 a gallon. Does anyone think that a gas tax revenue that is supposed to go into the Transportation Trust Fund won't be used, once again, to balance the general fund budget? By the way, why is the word, "trust," still in the fund's name? If there is any money left over from balancing the budget, perhaps the state could give businesses that consume a lot of gasoline and others hurt by the tax hike a substantial infusion of money to keep them afloat — like the racetracks are begging for. David Gosey, Towson

After reading the editorial "The GOP tax hike" (Dec. 22), an obvious question came to mind: How is it that not approving an extension of the Obama payroll tax cut is evil and anyone against extending it must be certifiably insane, yet when Obama wanted to end the so-called "Bush tax cuts" he was doing the right thing? I think that perhaps there may be a slight bias in your thought processes. Ed Roth, Ellicott

Taken right out of the Bill Clinton handbook, Gov. Martin O'Malley floats a trial balloon and suggests a hike in the state's gas tax only to alter the plan and now suggest an increase in the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. Is this man on the same planet as we the taxpayers? Doesn't he know how much the people who pay taxes are hurting? Raising these taxes goes to the gut of people who are still fortunate to be employed. Perhaps the "New Americans" the governor is so fond of can afford the tax hike and pay for the new roads and bridges only they will be using.

Regarding your article on New York City's ban on jumbo sugary drinks, it's good that the government is pushing for healthier choices, but will this really be in consumers' best interest? ("Md. leaders watching New York's soda ban," June 1). In this economy, we must ask whether people can afford a tax hike on the sugary beverages that serve as a cheap alternative to low-income families. We will have to wait and see how the tax in NYC goes before we make a decision here. It's understandable why Gov.Martin O'Malleywants to push for healthier diets, but it's not clear that this is the right choice for Maryland.

HOWARD COUNTY Executive Charles I. Ecker appears bound and determined to impose some type of tax increase on county residents. If he doesn't go with a property tax hike, it seems he will at least have county residents pay by the bag to have their garbage collected.The garbage fee may not be a bad idea. People would be paying for the type of service they want. Those who load up the trash collectors would pay accordingly, those who don't would pay less. However, the fact that residents, not business, would pay the fee make it a less equitable way to fund general government needs.

THE COUNTY'S fiscal picture is brighter than it seemed just a few weeks ago, when the chief executive's spending affordability committee recommended a tax hike or boosting user fees to stave off budgetary plight. It was one of two advisory panels that urged County Executive Charles I. Ecker to raise more revenue.But residents who feared higher real estate and income taxes have no reason to worry after all. Mr. Ecker's proposed budget for fiscal 1998 would provide enough money to boost salaries for county employees, hire additional police and go beyond the minimum level of state-mandated spending for education -- without a tax hike.