City Revenue
Dear Editor: Increased tax revenues, $480,000 to $500,000 this year and then (estimated) $1.5 million, are projected for new needs-based senior sales tax exemption (Sitka Sentinel, April 25, Page 1).
Good, that’s a lot of money. So now will they stop trying to raise all our other taxes?
Spike Arnold, Sitka
Sales Tax on Food
Dear Editor: I want to thank Mike Svenson for boldly speaking the truth, and the Sitka Sentinel for printing it. It is reassuring to see the spirit of balanced journalism is truly alive there.
Isn’t it time now for this town to address the tax on food? This is the most regressive of all taxes. It disproportionately hurts those who can least afford to pay it. It is unconscionable. I have never lived in, or known of another town anywhere where such a thing was tolerated. The never-ending greed of this government is astonishing. I would not object so much if throwing money at everything was working ... but it clearly isn’t. Instead it seems to encourage more foolishness.
Also, I have recently become aware that electric utilities in other towns in Alaska that are not owned by the municipality qualify for extremely low-interest funding from the USDA. I wonder if there is still some way to mitigate the impact of the debt service this town has taken on, by reorganizing into a non-profit electric coop, and refinancing the debt?
Anyway, thank you, Sitka Sentinel, for printing viewpoints that are probably not considered politically correct these days! That takes open-mindedness and courage.
Bill Adickes, Sitka
