Editor's note: This letter is in response to a previous letter New arena building must go ahead.
-----
To the editor:
With two-thirds of North Bay's population against the idea that "we need" this twin ice pad. it is a slap in the face of the ratepayers!
We do not need the input of surrounding areas as to how we should spend our taxes on expenditures that might please them!
The city's council members actually do not need to put feelers out there to see how much usage other communities would be willing to spend here, the phone poll which was taken should only have been offered to the residents of our city. After all, other communities do not contribute to the city's taxes, we do!
The cost of building it has risen by twenty-some million dollars! That is unacceptable!
You have to understand that thirty-five percent of the residents are stretched to the limit with your never-ending tax rate increases! They were maxed out five years ago!
The aged, the retired may get a governmental increase of three % per year which comes up to about three dollars a month! This city's increase is at times four, five and six % which equates to about twelve to eighteen percent more than their annual increase!
How long does the city intend to contribute to starving our aging residents? They don't have any more to give! Now you want their blood too?
Stop your foolish spending and think of the hardships you're imposing on nearly half of the residents.
Gabriel Bedard
North Bay
