‘Import Tax’ Is Unfair

Recently I read a letter in The Times from an Upland resident who was “appalled” at the $300 California EPA fee he had to pay to bring his automobile into California. When I was informed that I had to pay this California “import tax” to bring my car into this state, I was outraged! Even more so after I investigated and found that in the 1980s, a law was passed making the Federal and California EPA requirements the same. It should not be a surprise to the letter writer that his truck passed the smog inspection in California; my Blazer also passed with no problems.

The automobile I brought into the state had more than 100,000 miles, and although it is still a good car today, I would not have brought it here had I known about the “import tax” California imposes.

How many millions of dollars does this tax bring into California each year? In my case, it is yet another example of the state and federal governments’ screwing the hard-working taxpayer who moves where his company sends him, who goes to work every day and tries to be a good citizen.

President Bush should take a lesson from California and place an import tax on all foreign automobiles that will make them so expensive that our trade deficit will narrow. This, of course, would be as unfair as the California Import Tax, but what the heck--who’s talking about what is fair or right?

ED SHAW

Trabuco Canyon