Lynn Johnson: Senior citizens hit hard with taxes

Last year, I paid more in state income taxes on a fixed income than I did the year before. Why? The General Assembly “reduced” my tax rate by one quarter of 1 percent, but it eliminated all deductions for us “old folks.” It also raised sales taxes and imposed new ones on labor for car repairs, household repairs, etc.

The cost of insurance went up, as did deductibles and co-pays, even as we paid more for Medicare, which we’re required to have to shift more of the cost to the federal government.

Now these same folks are saying that North Carolina can’t afford a cost of living raise for state retirees, but apparently they think the state can afford to give legislators an increase in per diem because “everything is more expensive.” They haven’t given up their state insurance or their state retirement, even though they work only part time.

The excuse is that they want to pay teachers more, but retired teachers, who worked at lower pay, are hit hard by this decision not to give retirees a cost of living raise.

Senior citizens need to vote, and we can send them home for good.

This story was originally published June 4, 2016 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Lynn Johnson: Senior citizens hit hard with taxes."