Don Yingling’s letter concerning property tax levies on senior citizens made good points (“Exempt seniors from levies,” Sept. 7). Property taxes and added school levies result in senior citizens without children in the district paying pay higher taxes.
On the other hand, given the failure of the Legislature to determine and properly fund education, the current system is the most effective way to apply local property taxes to the schools within the districts that the property taxpayers reside. The levy system does not dilute local educational taxes and district citizens get the best bang for a buck.
Without going into the issues raised in the McCleary decision, why would seniors consider themselves exempt from funding local education? Yes, the cost increase is a pain, but consider the impacts on the community that the senior resides in when a school district performs poorly due to low funding.
Just because we get old does not release us from community obligations. These are common arguments from people I knew who simply lived in a 55-plus community.
It is likely that kids being educated today in our community will be earning dollars and providing tax dollars for Supplemental Security Income and community services used by the current over 65-, 70-, 80-year-olds, and those following.
