Letter: Reject $14.8 million tax hike

To the Editor:

Early this year, we witnessed on TV the City Council sending out messengers to all of the City Commissions and Boards stating: If you had $14.88 million to spend, what would you spend the money on?

The council members walked into these meetings giddy with excitement, with the anticipation of spending millions of citizens’ hard-earned dollars taxed on the purchase of goods and services at Red Wing merchants.

Why did the City Council decide it should put to the voters to spend more money, when the city has a generous budget?

Why does city government think they should take an additional $14.88 million from the working families that then cannot be used for children’s food, shelter, clothing and education?

Why would the city fathers put the already stressed downtown businesses at a further disadvantage to other shopping alternatives, by raising the sales taxes on the buyers of goods from them?

Mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, vote “no” to the city adding $14.88 million to the city coffers when less than 10 months ago they did not have any idea what they would spend the money on.

Say no to the increase in yet another promised “temporary” tax. Keep the money where it belongs, with the families and retirees of Red Wing. Let citizens decide where they spend their hard earned $14.88 million.

Thomas and Jane Drazkowski

Red Wing

Tags: opinion, letters, election