Letters to the Editor

By SUN READERS

......a couple of my favourites:

UNFAIR TO TENANTS

Re "T.O. tenants being taxed to the max" (Aug. 9): Bravo to Dan McIntyre and the Federation of Metro Tenants. I have listened to them speak about the outrageously higher tax rates on tenants, plus the special highrise garbage tax Mayor David Miller foisted on tenants -- even though we already pay private companies to haul away that garbage and pay for it again through property taxes that are much higher than those on houses. Miller has been the worst mayor when it comes to his treatment of tenants and the poor in general.

JENNIFER COLE

TAX BY ANOTHER NAME

Re "Toronto's hidden tax grabs" (Aug. 9): Every level of government needs a certain amount of money to function. No politician ever wants to say that he/she needs to raise taxes. Jenny Yuen notes that critics say Toronto's "lowest property taxes in the GTA" are more than offset by growing user fees. You can't have it both ways -- the lowest taxes and all the services whose costs keep increasing. So, similar to Premier Dalton McGuinty with his famous health "premium," which he says is not a tax, Toronto residents are now getting hit with user fees. Yes, they are taxes, but by calling them user fees, council can say they didn't raise taxes. Either way, they get the much needed cash. So, get used to it -- Pandora's box has been opened and they are just getting warmed up.

PAT DRUMM