I think it is unfortunate that Mr. Arnold Liebelt, who published a Sept. 20 letter in the Juneau Empire, does not understand why seniors were given the sales tax exemption in the first place.
If he had just stuck with the budget deficit and left it at that, I might have thought him a learned man who was really interested in solving the city’s financial problems.
But when he brought up the fact that McDonald’s (a multibillion dollar corporation) gives seniors discounts, it betrayed his argument and showed that the senior discount is nothing more than a bur in his backside. The discount at McDonald’s is on coffee only and it amounts to about 35 cents. Why do you think McDonald’s would do that? It is a simple concept, really. It’s called loyalty. It is McDonald’s way of thanking the senior patrons for many years of helping that company grow and become successful.
If those in opposition would lighten up a bit, they might see the light and understand that the city management wanted to thank those that have worked in Juneau for many years and helped make it “the kind of community you want Juneau to be”. How about just suspending it until finances get better?
If you want to be proactive and do something positive for Juneau, why don’t you suggest that the City and Borough stop wasting money writing regulations to control the sale of pot? The city could instead take over the sale of pot themselves and make the city very rich indeed. For many years Canada controlled the sale of alcohol. Many states hold lotteries. Why can’t a city control the sale of pot by simply selling it themselves? The city would reap the profits, control pot parlors, et cetera.
Have a nice day. See you at McDonald’s.
Dan Wetherall,
Juneau