I find it a shame that an important part of Rhode Island has all too often been left out of the discussions of our economic woes, and that part is our retired and elderly population.
Those that have contributed their entire lives to our state are far too often just pushed aside and neglected by our law makers and yes by ourselves. They require too much attention, they don’t contribute, and they are in the way. Are these horrible words? You bet they are and that is exactly the attitude of many even if it is unspoken it is proven by actions or rather by non-action.
I feel like I my heart is being ripped out when I see my mother struggling to pay for her medication or at the emptiness of her refrigerator at the end of the month and with a smile she says “I’m fine” not wanting to admit the truth that she is far from it. There are hundreds more of our elderly population in the same boat and that boat is sinking.
Rhode Island shares the shameful distinction of having amongst the highest state sales taxes in the country, coming in as the 6th highest sales tax at 7%. Combine that with utility tax, gas tax and personal income tax and you are ripping out a giant chunk of the elderly’s income which is in most cases below what they can survive on in the first place.
I want to see a law passed in Rhode Island that will eliminate sales taxes for those over the age of 65 with incomes below $50,000.00 per year. I also want to see the personal income tax for that same group eliminated. Rhode Island owes this to those that have worked hard all of their lives to help support our state and I am going to continue to fight for this for those that are all too often left in the cold because they can’t afford to pay for heat in the winter.
