Any Tax Increase

Is Unaffordable

To the Editor:

The following quote is from the June 21, 2002, issue of The Bee;

According to Tax Collector Carol Mahoney, a new homeowner’s tax bill will never match his or her family’s cost to the town in services, especially if the homeowner has children.

And:

The wealthier the town becomes, the more accelerated our decrease in state aid for education becomes. It’s going to put even more burden on the property owners.

This means that people such as my wife, Carolyn, and I must pay to support the super wealthy people moving into their million dollar mansions. We have willingly paid taxes to the town since 1964 when we came to Newtown. Now, however, I am retired and live on a, not fixed, but actually diminishing income. I simply cannot defray the costs of these millionaires with money that I must withdraw from my own capital.

I suppose that it could be said that we should move to more humble surroundings, forced from our home of almost 40 years because it is an untenable imposition to be required to support the wealthy.

In other words we, and people in similar circumstances, cannot afford any increase in taxes whatsoever!

William D. Downing

10 Saw Mill Ridge Road, Newtown                              April 7, 2003