Dear Editor: 

I'm writing to tell the City Council that a city sales tax increase is a bad idea. 

One would think that the permit fees to build all the new buildings and the tax on food on all the new restaurants would increase the city coffers. The city collects enough. 

It always bothers me when the city pays thousands of dollars for surveying the feasibility of putting something on the ballot (this one to be in November), then thousands more for phone calls. I well remember the $28,000-plus paid regarding McMansions and the citizens got nothing for it. It was all for the city to collect building fees. 

Worse than that was the $80,000 spent on a special election to do away with term limits. Then a previous City Council awarded Police Chief Roy Campos the highest retirement of any police chief in California. Maybe the council should look at the budget and see where they can cut. 

The council needs to realize Downey citizens are tired of the extravagance at all levels of government. This is the reason people and businesses are leaving California. 

Betty Logan
Downey