Additional levies ask too much

Additional levies ask too much

On Nov. 2, the people of Po- land will be asked to pass a 3.9 levy for Poland Schools; also on the ballot will be a 1.8 mill levy for the Mahoning County Libraries and a 2.0 mill levy for Poland Township. All three of these levies are for five years. This is a total of 7.7 mills increase on your property taxes.

You can bet when the five years are up, it will appear on the ballot again as a renewal levy, no increase in taxes.

I say, it’s not a decrease in taxes either.

Also this year, the county is re-evaluating your property taxes. You will know how much your taxes will increase from that in February or March of 2011.

As of now, the country is $13 trillion in debt, the state is $8 billion in debt, and the county on Aug. 13, 2010, announces a 26 permanent reduction in force in the JFS.

If the country, state and Mahoning county don’t have money, what makes the affirmation levy seekers think we the people have it? I received a notice from my hospitalization that my wife’s and my premium will increase $140 a month starting in January 2011. My deductible for hospital stay doubled. I am on Social Security which we received no pay increase in 2010 nor will we get a raise in 2012.

I guess it must be easier to go to the county and put levies on the ballot for schools rather than go in force to Columbus and tell the governor he promised during his campaign for governor he would support the school systems without raising property taxes. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to support schools by way of property taxes. This letter is not intended to tell you how to vote just know what you are doing when you get to the polls.

I know how I am going to vote.

Joseph E. Carter, Poland