Just say “no”

To the editor:

I was reading the Frontiersman newspaper (Sept. 13) with the column written by Verne Rupright, who is Wasilla’s mayor. His article was about the 3 percent sales tax the Mat-Su Borough wants to initiate to save us all money on property taxes.

Mr. Rupright is correct in saying, sure, they can cap the tax but it doesn’t stop the borough from increasing property values, nor does it say the borough won’t increase the sales tax from 3 percent to 4 percent or 5 percent. Every time I go to the Kenai, I swear they have gone up another percent.

If the people in the Valley have to pay an additional 3 percent sales tax, I can definitely see where it would be wise of those people who work in Anchorage, at least, to buy their groceries and do their shopping there, so in essence we would be losing revenues in the Valley.

I think there has to be a way for our borough and assembly we elected to start to live with in their means and learn how to say “no” for a change. Times are tough and we all must tighten our belts if we are going to make it through this mess we’re in.

When I go to the borough, I count all the vehicles lined up with the borough logo on the side and I am sure there are some without the logo and there must be another 20 in the field by that time of day. I say to myself, I wonder how much it costs to gas up these vehicles, buy tires, repairs and upkeep, licenses and insurance?

I will vote for anyone who has the word “no” in their vocabulary.

Millie Wickham

Palmer