despite his belief in fiscal conservatism, wilson raised the sales tax to reduce the state deficit, including imposing a sales tax on newspapers (which did not have one up to then) and "snack" foods. he also raised car license fees and college tuition; by 1991, tuition fees at the university of california rose by 40%, while they rose by 24% at california state university. additionally, he raised the income tax in the top bracket temporarily. however, by 1993, the snack tax was repealed by the democratic state legislature and the sales tax increase expired. on april 26, 1991, wilson proposed an increase in sales tax by 1 1/4 cents and state taxes by 6.7 billion as part of plan to reduce the state's budget deficit. the revenue gap had increased by 5 billion in the four months of his governorship. in response to the april 1991 proposal, the "los angeles times" wrote of wilson,