Bob New (“Sales tax increase is misleading,” Mailbag, Friday) has been a bit misled himself in, like many, making a common mistake when manipulating percentages. While noting, correctly, that the tax rate has increased 11% (actually a little more than 12%), he misses that the net tax paid on any purchase has, in fact, only increased 1%. For the percentage-challenged: 9.25 divided by 8.25 = 1.12, a 12% increase. However, a $10 item with 8.25% sales tax rate costs $10.825 whereas the same item with 9.25% tax rate costs $10.925, a difference of $0.10 which, compared to the $10 purchase price, is an increase of . . . all together now, 0.1 divided by 10 and then times 100 (to get percent) = 1%! Perhaps we all need to stop grumbling about too much government and review Math 101.
RON BRUSHA
Glendale
We cut water usage enough already
Regarding “Water rule is rebuked,” Thursday:
