Joe Halpin asked how to avoid the excessive taxes in Arizona for rental cars. I don't know how, but was also put off. I don't know about the 20%, but the $3.50 is for their new "cactus league" stadium. We Marylanders were already ripped off big time by our dear governor for the new Ravens stadium, to the tune of hundreds of millions in giveaways. So anyone who goes to Arizona gets to contribute twice to sports welfare, once at home and once "on the road". After learning of the Arizona situation on a February birding trip, I wrote my state senator about this issue, suggesting a reciprocal arrangement whereby anyone renting a car in Maryland coming from a state where car renters are taxed for a stadium, would be taxed an equal amount. (By the way, I have been told that Houston is also taxing car renters for a stadium) Despite the fact that Senator Jean Roesser was a strong opponent of the stadium giveaway, her answer did not support my proposal. She said that such an arrangement would put an undue burden on business and drive rental car business to adjacent states. Anyone with a modicum of sense would recognize that both these arguments are red herrings. No one would take a taxi from BWI to Pennsyvania or Virginia to avoid a $3.50 rental car tax. And programing a computer to make calculations on taxes is a simple and inexpensive proposition. I wrote Senator Roesser back expressing the above thoughts and got a hostile call from one of her staffies. I received no written reply. I suggest that anyone who is offended by sports welfare taxes write their Maryland senator asking for reciprocal legislation. I will be happy to e-mail a copy of my letters to Senator Roesser to anyone who would like the details. Bob Mumford Darnestown