&letterheadHigher tax

bad idea

TO THE EDITOR: I am writing this letter having never felt so compelled to do so. It is in regard to having just read about our Essex County lawmakers mulling a sales-tax increase.

Some of the comments made by these lawmakers as to why they feel this is necessary give little regard to the dire straights taxpayers in this county already are in. Supervisor Politi states any sales-tax increase would be borne mostly by people from outside the county. Just who does he think is?

I live in Essex county all year. I'm not on vacation or just passing through. I, as anyone who does live here, will pay this increase everyday as we spend our income to live here. He also states that a half of a percent would not have any great effect on people spending money. Every time I turn around some politician has decided that a percent here and a half percent there has no effect on my own budget. Do the math. It all adds up and it's getting harder and harder to get my own hands in my pocket with all the other hands already in it.

Do these lawmakers stop to think that maybe all these taxes are a major cause of this state's gloomy budget picture? I don't exactly see business running to this area or this state. I see them avoiding it and going elsewhere just for this reason. To quote Supervisor Canon, "Yes, my hay wagon has been piled full and I don't see any coming off."

Supervisor Scozzafava, the reason you haven't raised the property tax is due to the voice of the people who have let you know enough is enough and sooner or later you'll have no one left who can afford to live here.

The state's gloomy budget picture will only be made better by sound political and financial policies that you as lawmakers make and are voted in to office to do. Stop hitting me in the pocket and lighten yours but not at my expense.

Neal R. Larkin

Moriah

&letterheadThanks

to Jesse

TO THE EDITOR: I would like to send a personal "Thank you" out to "Jesse," who drives a black Toyota pickup truck.

On Monday afternoon, about 2:15, my son, Kasey, was outside killing time before he went to football practice, when "Jesse" walked up our driveway. "Jesse" needed to use the phone because he had run out of gas. Kasey said, "Sure, no problem," and brought him into the garage to use the phone.

After leaving messages and trying to get in touch with a couple of people, "Jesse" asked Kasey if he could take our gas can, which, by the way, was a 6-gallon can that had just been filled the day before. He told my son that he was meeting someone in Standish at 2:30 and that he would come back within an hour or so with the gas can filled.