Letter to the Editor - San Jose Mercury News

The SJMN is quick to spend the budget surplus on social programs.("Put the surplus to good use." May 15). As a candidate for State Assembly(Libertarian "write-in" 21st District) I have some opinions on what to do, and what not to do, with the $4.4 million surplus.  

DO:

• Eliminate the sales tax on print media.(SJMN should like that)
• Eliminate the 2% license renewal fee.  This outrageous annual fee encourages people to keep that old "smog-belching clunker".  It also has a negative impact on new car sales. 
• Eliminate California's capital gain tax. 
• Return the leftover surplus to taxpayers.

DON'T:

• Spend another penny on the Public Schools until a full accounting is made of current spending for the myriad programs in the bloated, over-regulated system. Let the voters decide if >$8500/yr is enough to educate a child.  I suggest that an unrestricted voucher system could function better on less than HALF that amount.
• Spend another penny on "open-space" land acquisition until the stewards of these lands can properly manage them.  Divestiture of unmaneagable lands could help finance maintenance of a "reasonable" remainder.
• Add more subsidies to "public transportation" systems.  These systems should be operated from "user fees".  Other beneficiaries(retail stores, etc.) of such systems are more than welcome to subsidize the users.
• Spend another penny on "Diamond Lanes" until a cost/benefit analysis is presented to the public.  Elimination of these lanes would most likely result.
• Spend another penny prosecuting marijuana users and clubs.