Dear Editor:
RE: Guelph/Eramosa tax rate could increase by 3.8%, Dec. 15.
What are people that are on fixed incomes supposed to do to pay these kind of tax increases? How can you keep coming to us for more money when we have none? Should we be forced to leave our homes that we have put our whole lives into? And where do we go?
I am not saying that we should pay zero taxes, but we can structure a system where if you are 70 years old and have owned your home for a set period of time the taxes could be capped. At 70 years of age, we have paid our fair share and should be able to live out the balance of our lives without being in fear of being put out of our home.
I don’t think you realize how bad it actually is out here. We don’t have any type of pay increases or government pensions and for us who were self-employed in years past we were not allowed to pay into Canada Pension but we provided employment, taxes and pensions for other people. A completely unfair system.
As for any supplements provided by the township, they were consumed a long time ago. You can have all the pet projects you wish but if we cannot afford them then we cannot afford them.
Try living on $1,400 a month. It’s not like we are living above our means; we have cut back to one vehicle, we no longer go out for dinner once a month and we no longer participate in social events.
Our home is at the point where it is in need of upgrades and repairs which we cannot afford. We no longer celebrate anniversaries or birthdays with even the smallest of gifts. The list goes on and on.
Normally our taxes would come out by automatic withdrawal. In the new year this is going to have to change. There just won’t be enough cash in the account.
We just came through an election and we (meaning all of us) voted in such a manner that we knew we would need help with this situation that we have been forced into. We must come up with a way that we can live out our golden years in our homes that we built.
And just in closing, why are we having a public meeting on Jan. 4 at 1pm, when working people have just returned to work after having approximately 10 days off? How do they justify to their bosses that they need another day off for a meeting with the township? We have always had these meetings in the evening before.
We elected you to help us. Now we need your help!
Bob Foster,
Guelph/Eramosa