To the editor:
I read the letters to the editor in this newspaper. Lately, there have been some letters supporting the construction of a new Indian Creek High School. The writers' reasons are good, but they ignore the burden imposed on the people who must pay for this venture.
The members of the board of education, who are required to live in the school district, need only to look around at their neighborhoods. This is what they would see - unemployed, underemployed, retired or on a fixed income. These are the people they were elected to represent. They seem to have forgotten that part of their responsibility.
There may be hope for the unemployed or the underemployed. The retirees can only look forward to more of a struggle. There are 68 percent of the people in this school district who are retired. They are asked to pay the lion's share for a new building. In a household where a husband and wife are both retired, if one dies the household income is decreased by 30 percent to 50 percent. This creates a financial hardship. The only thing that doesn't decrease is the tax on the property.
Remember, these retirees pay the same for a gallon of gasoline or a loaf of bread as the household that enjoys a $100,000 a year income. The biggest difference is they have more visits to their doctors and more prescription medicines. Don't ask them to make more concessions. The worst thing I can think of is if a retired person had to sell his or her home because he or she couldn't afford to pay his or her taxes. That's too much of a sacrifice. They felt secure there. They enjoyed their family life there. This is too much to give up.
The present situation with the high school can be improved. The facilities are good. Call your board of education and ask the members to make improvements. It can be done.
William R. Kopras
Cross Creek Township
