As a senior citizen of Juneau, I would like to clarify a few things in the recent letter to the editor by Tomas Boutin. First, his assertion that “seniors were required to purchase new tax exemption cards” is false. The exemption cards are free to senior citizens of Juneau. As a senior citizen on a fixed income, I am grateful to the city of Juneau for the sales tax exemption on essential items such as food and fuel. I am also grateful for the property tax exemption given seniors.
Unlike this letter appears, it does not represent all seniors in Juneau. I am very supportive of the few extra dollars I may pay to support our police, fire, recreation, libraries, streets, museum, hospital and airport and schools. If I want a non-essential item to purchase, I am more than willing to pay taxes on it and feel this is only fair. I personally have never heard of any senior citizen suffering because they cannot pay taxes on a nonessential item.
I appreciate the courage the Assembly had in making the budget work for all Juneau citizens and would encourage everyone to vote for candidates based on their record of helping all of Juneau and not the three candidates that Boutin is urging votes for because of seniors.
Shirley Dean,
Douglas