Letter: Approval of Parks, Roads Levies Would Hurt Those on Fixed Incomes

Dear Editor,

If Props. 1 and 2 pass, property taxes will cost an average home owner another $150 per year, after year, after year.  So the question is for those on fixed incomes, would you rather use the $150 to cover the increase cost of Social Security and Medicare Part B, and Medicare Part D, whose increase is forecast to be as much as 23%?.

For those who have not retired, it's money you can use to pay for the quality of life you choose.   Fixed income people will hurt the most.  I'm one of them.  We will only receive a 1 to 2 % increase in our monthly checks while Kirkland's budget grows at a rate 4 times faster than our cost of living (COLA) allowance.  It's money we need to balance our budgets.

If Prop 1 and 2 pass, it frees up more than $5.35 million, money that is already in their $449 million dollar budget and could have been use to negate the need for Prop 1 & 2.  There's no need for additional taxes.  But Council wants more to spend on other things.   Because the park levy can be used as collateral, it reduces our capability for additional funding.

The Council would like to see the levy amounts to be larger.  But there's only so much we can stand.  Of this you can be sure.  The Council will continue to rob Peter to pay Paul.

Robert L. Style, Kirkland