THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 21, 1996 TAG: 9602200055
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
I have just filed our Virginia income tax form for 1995.
Unless I am mistaken (not unheard of), my wife and I are in for quite a windfall.
For some years, we have been told to not include any of our Social Security benefits in our state taxable income. And we know that, unlike younger Virginians, we are to take a double exemption each. This year we were directed to subtract $10,000 each because of our age.
So we took off a total of almost $40,000 from our gross income because we are smart enough to be old.
Mind you, I'm not complaining. Who is not for lower taxes? But I do wonder about the fairness of it. Why should we get a tax advantage of over $2,000 over a younger Virginian with the same income? Should not some of these deductions be means tested as they are in the federal system? Or is there something to be gained by making Virginia a haven for retirees?
Dr. Jack Dempsey
Fenwood Court
Smithfield Bill to keep poll workers at distance a wise move
I would like to take this means and opportunity to congratulate our delegate to the Virginia General Assembly, Mr. William K. Barlow, for presenting to the Assembly a bill to prevent candidate poll workers from standing or congregating any closer than 200 feet from the poll entrance.
Personally, I would prefer to see them banned completely. They are a nuisance. I live in Smithfield, right across the street from the Smithfield Precinct, and at times I have seen them so thick that some voters have difficulty getting through them to get to the polling place, especially the handicapped!
As far as Mr. Frank Hall is concerned, I invite him to come to my house and sit on my front porch for the next general election and observe what and how those people obstruct the entrance to the polling place and how voters have to get out in the street to walk around and through them. And on Mr. Hall's comment of Mr. Barlow's attempt to get this bill passed, I can tell you he's thinking of the safety of all these people who work at the polls as a public service, as well as the thousands of citizens who exercise their right to vote each election.
In writing this letter, I am doing it in defense of Mr. Barlow, who is showing enough fortitude to do what he thinks is right.
N. Kenneth Jones
Smithfield by CNB