SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE EDITORIAL Out to sea San Francisco Chronicle February 19, 2008 The no-new-tax pledge by Sacramento Republicans is getting crazier by the minute. The latest example: The GOP's refusal to close a tax loophole enjoyed by yacht owners. By whacking $1 billion in a hurry-up session to meet a looming $14 billion deficit, the state Legislature cut school child care, teaching training, new judgeships and welfare. But Republicans in both the Senate and Assembly refused to soften the damage by fixing a state tax paid on yacht sales. Big boats won out over little kids, more judges and aid to the poor. Right now, a boat buyer can avoid a state sales tax by purchasing a vessel out of state and not bringing it home for 90 days. The proposal was to increase the waiting period to a year, making it harder to avoid paying the tax. The change would have brought the state an estimated $26 million. Cutting state spending this year may be a hard necessity. But it can only win public support if voters are convinced that all options are genuinely considered and all sides are paying their share. It's no time for hidebound thinking or special favors. A fairer yacht tax on the Californians living at the very top of the economic tree is a relatively small sacrifice in these times. Shame on the Legislature's Republicans for their refusal to close this indefensible tax loophole. Copyright 1999-2008, California Coastal Coalition Phone: (760) 944-3564