Beneficiaries’ money shouldn’t be spent on tax deadbeats

I’ve been debating with myself whether to write this letter to the editor, but seeing how tax deadbeats can and do get the attention of politicians, it compels me to say something.

When we don’t pay our bills, we get threatened or sued by collection agencies (all fine and well, since products and services that we want would disappear because no one would pay for them).

I think it’s the same thing with not paying municipal taxes. It all seems so abstract and out of reality – these taxes that we have to pay.

But, think for a moment – some of these products and services that we’ve come to expect from the city have to be paid somehow. Some of these monies go to vehicle inspections and maintenance, or are supposed to. Our recent experience here in Iqaluit with deaths resulting from the use of municipal trucks brings home the fact that our tax dollars go to pay for various things, including the inspection and upkeep of our essential services.

I don’t appreciate my beneficiary money going to bail out people who obviously take more than they receive.

We’re not rich and moneyed to the ying-yang, but we try and do our part according to our capacities.

So, if you ask me, if these people deserve our consideration, they are an additional burden when the money they don’t pay as individuals is intended to pay for things that we need as a city and as a territory.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit