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Letters must be no more than 400 words and have a better chance of being printed if they are exclusive to the Citizen Telegram. All letters may be edited for content and space. E-mail letters@citizentelegram.com; submit them at citizentelegram.com, hand-deliver or send signed, legible letters to The Citizen Telegram, 133 W. 3rd St., Rifle, CO, 81650. Name, location and phone number required for verification. Only name and location will be published.
Editor,
(This was an open letter to state Sen. Al White, R-Hayden, state Reps. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison and Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs.)
On behalf of the Glenwood Springs Association of REALTORS®, which represents more than 300 REALTORS® and affiliates across Garfield County, I wish to express our opposition to SB276, a bill to eliminate the homestead exemption for seniors over 65 and qualifying veterans who have owned and lived in their homes for more than ten years. Please vote NO on SB276.
While your goal of achieving additional revenue for the state to balance the budget is commendable, crawling on the backs of seniors and veterans is not the appropriate solution to balance the budget. These citizens are a fragile segment of our state's population. They often live on fixed incomes and rely on certain government benefits, such as the senior homestead exemption. If you take away their benefits, they may not be able to survive in the current economy, which is already draining their retirement funds.
The Glenwood Springs Association of REALTORS® recommends you abandon efforts to eliminate this exemption, and look for other ways to balance the budget this year.
If you have any questions or comments regarding our position on elimination of the exemption, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your consideration of our position.
John Wendt
Chair
(This was an open letter to state Sen. Al White, R-Hayden, state Reps. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison and Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs.)
On behalf of the Glenwood Springs Association of REALTORS®, which represents more than 300 REALTORS® and affiliates across Garfield County, I wish to express our opposition to SB276, a bill to eliminate the homestead exemption for seniors over 65 and qualifying veterans who have owned and lived in their homes for more than ten years. Please vote NO on SB276.
While your goal of achieving additional revenue for the state to balance the budget is commendable, crawling on the backs of seniors and veterans is not the appropriate solution to balance the budget. These citizens are a fragile segment of our state's population. They often live on fixed incomes and rely on certain government benefits, such as the senior homestead exemption. If you take away their benefits, they may not be able to survive in the current economy, which is already draining their retirement funds.
The Glenwood Springs Association of REALTORS® recommends you abandon efforts to eliminate this exemption, and look for other ways to balance the budget this year.
If you have any questions or comments regarding our position on elimination of the exemption, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your consideration of our position.
John Wendt
Chair
