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Residents must reject library tax

The so-called Dunkirk Free Library has been a thorn in the side of Dunkirk city taxpayers for decades.

The city taxpayers had to dish out more than $135,000 a year for this tax-eating monster. All the time, that money could have been used to rebuild our fire halls. But instead, the fire halls were neglected and that money was given on an annual basis to the library.

In your spare time, take a ride by the library and observe how it looks on the outside. Now take a ride by fire headquarters and observe how neglected that is; our first responders have to live and work in that building. The people who put their lives on the line each and every day. Now in comparison to the library, what have they sacrificed for this city? The library has modern computers, and modern equipment, nothing but the best.

Why does a library have to have computers and all of that modern equipment? It is a library for books, but those in charge have made a mausoleum out of this library. With the city funding stream in doubt for the future, library officials are wondering where they can get a consistent revenue.

So they are turning to the taxpayers once again, only this time, they went in another direction for their funding. They figure they can have the Dunkirk City School District be their collection agency.

They now want $350,000. This way they can take in the whole school district, which includes all of the area of this district outside the city. This way, everyone will have to pay for this mausoleum called a free library. They also stated they will have an executive board to observe this new operation of your tax money coming in.

I am sure the Dunkirk school district is not happy to be a collection agency for the Dunkirk Library; in fact, I know they are not happy. The school district has its own agenda to be concerned about and needs to take care of their own business. They don’t need an outside agency also to worry about. On June 23, vote “no” on the proposition for the library.

We as taxpayers cannot forget our senior citizens who are living on a fixed income. The seniors are covered by the STAR program only for the school tax. The seniors will not be covered by the STAR program for the Dunkirk Library. In other words, the seniors on a fixed income will have to pay taxes for the library only. How can our seniors be expected to pay for a library when they can barely pay for their own survival?

This library proposition is unfair, not only to the seniors, but also to the hard-working taxpayers who have to work two jobs to survive. This area doesn’t have enough taxpayers to support this library.

The money tree in this area is growing thin with all the other free handouts, starting with the out-of-control welfare program that there is no end in sight for. The taxpayers don’t need more taxes placed on their backs, especially for $350,000 worth.

So taxpayers, you better vote on June 23, because you know that the non-taxpayers who pay nothing into the system will be out there in force. If there ever was a time when your vote is needed, it is now, or otherwise you will have to work another job for this free handout again. I think we as taxpayers have had enough of free handouts.

Richard Makuch is a Dunkirk resident.

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