According to his letter of March 10, Steve Hyle of Lewes and his wife were "chilled to the bone" at Gov. Carney's March 2 Budget Reset meeting when "a woman, a retired teacher," stood up and said she was willing to pay more taxes. For those who read Mr. Hyle's letter but were not at the meeting, I also said a few other things that Mr. Hyle did not include in his letter.
I stressed that all tax increases should be means-tested. Because I worked in public schools for 36 years and paid into a state pension every month, I now have a comfortable retirement. Yet simply because of my age, the state government pays half of my county school tax. Many of us, as indicated by the audience reaction at the meeting, prefer to pay our full share of taxes rather than see cuts to education. However, I stated clearly that the state should continue to pay 50 percent of the tax for those residents who need that reduction to help cover living expenses.
I also mentioned the Clean Water and Flood Abatement report to be released soon will probably include a proposal for households and businesses to a pay a fee. I don't know the amount but it sounds like I'll be asked to pay about 20 cents a day. That is a small price for me to pay to safely drink water from Sussex County wells, eat fish caught in Delaware's waterways, swim in our Inland Bays, and drive on Route 1 or Long Neck Road after a nor'easter.
Because of time limitations, here are a few things I didn't get to say at the meeting.
We moved here from Arlington, Va., not because our taxes were astronomical, but to enjoy the natural assets of coastal Delaware. Our Arlington taxes included curbside trash, recycling, yard waste and leaf pickup, as well as free leaf and wood mulch - or a very reasonable fee to have large quantities delivered. Now I pay for-profit companies to provide all of these services.
Our taxes provided numerous public parks for humans and canines, recreation centers, senior centers, and swimming pools in all high schools with public access for a minimal fee when schools weren't in session. A comparison of a county water bill to a current Tidewater bill might even convince Mr. Hyle that he could come out ahead if he paid a few dollars more in taxes.
I agree with Gov. Carney that economic growth is the most effective way to increase revenue. But that means we need to attract businesses that pay employees more than the minimum wage. It means we need businesses that pay competitive salaries to people with professional and technical skills. And it means Sussex County must be a place where younger people with these career assets want to live.
It isn't low taxes that will increase economic growth and encourage working-age people to move here. It's providing the educational opportunities and the services people expect. They will not be willing to move here if they must wait at least four months to see a medical specialist, live on a road that floods regularly, or know the state budget is balanced by ignoring polluted waterways and crowding more children into a classroom.
Mr. Hyle believes my willingness to pay my full share of taxes to improve services, adequately fund schools and protect our natural assets "will kill the very golden goose that has made our beach communities special." Mr. Hyle, there is no golden goose.
Joanne Cabry
Rehoboth Beach
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