The situation regarding needs for monies to continue operating all our community services is going to require more innovative and cost-effective methods to survive in our present economy.
To continue in the current fashion -- and recommending the easy and no-brainer solution of increasing taxation to solve the dilemma -- will only create greater problems in the future. We have an aging population and substantial numbers of very elderly people who are on fixed incomes. To constantly subject them to higher and higher taxes will drive them out of their homes and/or put them into the welfare system, and eventually in the cemetery. Many now have to choose between medicines or food to survive, and many have already reduced the heating and cooling in their homes to conserve cash.
I would think they have paid their dues over a 50-year work span. One must remember that many retirees are living on pensions that were acquired many years ago, and the value of buying power with those dollars has been eroded by inflation.
Pedro C. Santos, Augusta
Comments
The fixed income is a result of government robbing SS to supplement social programs and the spiraling rise in the cost of medical insurance and drugs is the result of government intervention in those fields. While claiming to help, it's the redistribution of wealth that is contributing to inflation. We need more government subsidized programs, which means more taxes to pay for them, which means less spending money, so we need more government subsidized programs. Obama '08
Saxby Chambliss is a big spending, big government, LIBERAL. He & his LOBBYST son Bo are owned by the Ohio Ethanol industry. This drives up the price of both gas and food. His BORROW & SPEND policies are destroying our country. As a member of the Group of 10 TRAITORS, he is helping the election of OBAMA not John McCain.
If you have to collect a tax, it should be fair and even handed. Own property? Pay taxes. What does age have to do with it? You realize that your age has reduced your taxes, but increased if for everyone else. Is that fair?
What is fair about taxation? Under the current system nothing is fair and no one is treated equally. I do believe the elderly and retired should get some consideration. If your parents have worked all of their lives and have paid for their home ever increasing property taxes should not drive them out of it. This just creates a greater burden on the tax payers by forcing them into a situation where by they can no longer be self sufficient and must be on the entitlement role. All of these entitlement programs are paid for with our taxes. Perhaps we should suspend property taxes until the property is sold and a percentage of the sale price or fair market value must be paid at the time of sale. This special should never exceed some set percentage of the fair market value.
This is not by chance. This is how government grows its power. Forcing everyone to be dependent on government subsides. Change is just another word for revolution. Our "Socialist Revolution" is close at hand. Only the "elite" will survive the redistribution of wealth. History does not lie. The govenment and organized religion are in step toward a Godless, Humanistic, Union of Socialist States of North America.
Santos worries that higher taxes will put seniors into the cemetary. That's exactly what the politicians WANT to do! It's working.
GaValues, I got news for you-ethanol has reduced the cost of driving by increasing regular gas octane to what has been mid-grade. It saves me about 10-15 cents a gallon for my BMW. I agree that the import tax on ethanol is stupid.
doubtit what was fair about me and other seniors paying school taxes to educate your kid/s AFTER our kids were out of school ? Why should property owners be the ones with the tax burden? I am in favor of the fair tax so everyone pays.
When it comes to tax hikes the government doesn't care about anybody. As I said in another local publication - I can understand why people are defaulting on their home loans. It isn't that they can't afford the mortgage (at the payment it was when they bought it). It's that rising local and school tax rates and and rising apprasials are nickle and diming them out of their homes. My payments went up by $45.00 a month to cover my growing escrow payouts to the government. Seniors? THey don't care about seniors so what makes anyone think they care about anyone else. The schools are considering taking away the tax break they are giving seniors now on top of raising the mill rate.
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