My wife and I attended Sen. Ernie Lopez's March 2 Constituent Coffee at Lewes Firehouse 2. It was overflowing with constituents, in part because Gov. John Carney was the main speaker who was there to explain our $350,000,000 state budget shortfall. His presentation was all well and good, as well as informative.
But the most striking comments came from a member of the audience during the question-and-answer session with the governor.
Various individuals had suggestions for the governor as to how the budget gap might be reduced. In most part good ideas. But then a woman, a retired school teacher, made a statement that chilled my wife and I to the bone. She said words to the effect that she would actually be willing and would like to pay more taxes. She even got, but certainly not overwhelming, applause.
This is what I find most disturbing about this new demographic mindset and perspective, as represented by this woman's statement, and those who applauded her.
It reveals to a great extent that people who have more recently moved or will be moving to the area, are increasingly from states where their taxes are or were by comparison, astronomical. So they don't mind paying a "little more" in taxes here in Delaware. But this is where this changing demographic mindset and perspective will take us. It will kill the very golden goose that has made our beach communities special.
Unfortunately, there might be only one thing that might stop this transitional demographic mindset and the ensuing willingness to accept or even champion tax increases. So, the idea of volunteering to pay more taxes to close our state budget deficit, which some see as a noble gesture, is in reality an exercise in futility.
It would only bring a short term "fix," lasting only until the next higher tax "fix" will be needed. The disturbing changing demographics of our community is summed up in these few words: "I would like to pay more taxes," spoken in a public forum.
Steve Hyle
Lewes
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.
