Dear editor,
Tim Chaisson’s letter Stop subsidizing the churches (CV Record Sept. 8) brings up an interesting point. It would be easier to understand, though not necessarily to agree with, if he had not slipped into a rant about his personal dislike of religion and the rhetoric espoused by celebrity atheists such as Richard Dawkins et al. Ignoring the froth over his secular favourite whipping boy, Christianity, his issue is inappropriate taxation, and the use of public money to support organizations and policies he may not agree with.
I am a senior. All my sons are finished with their publicly funded education. So why should I continue to be taxed for schools? I do not play golf, so why should I subsidize a golf course simply because others find whacking a tiny ball around the countryside a healthy activity bringing the participants enjoyment, good outdoors exercise, camaraderie and contributing to the local economy. Or my hard-earned dollars going into the curling rink. I am too stiff and sore to spend my evenings sliding a silly rock across a frozen surface, not to mention those ghastly sweaters and tams. Haven’t you ever seen the movie “Men with Brooms”? I mean really!! And fire protection. I live in a rural part of the Valley where the local volunteer fire department has never lost a foundation yet. Still I pay for this.
F-18s, the glider program, the Snowbirds, NAFTA, firearm registration, when will it end? Non-tax paying youngsters with their sports and activity classes at the CRA, and don’t get me started on the Sid Williams Theatre. Culture? Belongs in yogurt, not out of my pocketbook. Tim, church subsidies are only the tip of the iceberg.
Oh, I could go on and on like Tim, with instances of tax dollars being spent on ridiculous items that give me nothing personally. One would think we lived in a democracy where we support each other even though it is not an expense directly benefiting me. Me. Me. ME!!
Harold Macy
Merville
