Tax Breaks Intensify State Fiscal Debate (wealthy/corp tax breaks stay)

[papau]

As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seeks to force down
government expenses, his blueprint for long-term reform leaves one
area untouched: tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations. By
Evan Halper.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-loophole24jan24.story
NEWS ANALYSIS
Tax Breaks Intensify State Fiscal Debate
By Evan Halper
Times Staff Writer

January 24, 2005

SACRAMENTO — As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seeks to force down government expenses, his blueprint for long-term reform leaves one area untouched: tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations.

The tax breaks allow yacht owners to avoid paying sales taxes, business partnerships to keep their property tax bills down and large corporations to move money offshore to avoid paying what would otherwise be owed to the state.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez suggests that closing such loopholes could wipe out as much as half of the state's $8.6-billion deficit. Analysts say such projections are far too optimistic, but they question the governor's refusal to even look at the tax breaks.

"There are a lot of people in California who are not asked to bear any of the burden of balancing this budget," said John Ellwood, a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley. "The governor has made a policy choice. He is willing to hit the poor more than the upper-middle class and the rich." <snip>