letter/jc. Give Taxpayers a Break Every hard-working Californian gives on average 40 percent of their total income to support the government each year. This year, California is expecting an additional $2 billion in revenue from personal income taxes beyond what had been projected. It is clear to me that this surplus revenue should be returned to the hard-working taxpayers of California. It is often forgotten that this money is not the government’s to be spent frivolously on bureaucratic salary increases, but is our hard-earned dollars that should be used to provide for our families. The state needs to return the money to where it belongs the taxpayers. I support tax relief specifically designed to assist the working families of California. A plan that would allow families making up to $28,000 a year to pay absolutely no personal income taxes. In the first year under our plan, 1.1 million Californians would no longer need to file a state tax return and it would further reduce taxes for another 5.9 million taxpayers. After the initial tax reduction, this relief would spread to reduce taxes for over 7 million taxpayers and 1.4 million citizens would no longer need to file a state tax return. The average tax savings is estimated to be $200 per family. In real dollars that could mean that a single mother raising one child could afford a new playpen, could pay her bills on time and most importantly permit a little extra breathing room. Every hard-working citizen will begin to breathe a little easier at the end of each month as they receive relief from California’s burdensome tax system. Working families deserve some relief from the state of California. GEORGE RUNNER California Assemblyman Republican Whip Lancaster