Letters to the editor: Tired of being taxed into oblivion; expanding euthanasia is wrong
We are being taxed into infinity
Re: your April 12 story, “Supervisors OK polling voters about housing bond”:
The article in The Star was regarding a unanimous vote by the Ventura County Board of supervisors to hire EMC Research to conduct a poll with county residents to place a bond measure on the ballot with the initial suggestion for property owners to be taxed to help pay for affordable housing.
City of Ventura property owners are already being charged parcel taxes for two separate Ventura unified school district measures. Many of us homeowners are getting by to afford our own home and taxes without having to pay for someone else’s home.
Exactly how many taxes to property owners are enough according to government officials. This is tantamount to the socialist doctrine of punishment to those who own housing. We are tired of being taxed into oblivion by government entities as a result of their own wasteful spending.
Jenny McKinney, Ventura
Don’t expand euthanasia in state
If someone were driving along the 23 freeway in Moorpark (heading to the 118 eastbound) and found someone standing on the bridge considering a suicidal jump, what should that person do? I think nearly all would agree that he or she should call for help, at the very least. The last thought in any sane person’s mind would be to push that person off the bridge. That would be considered murder.
However, isn’t physician-assisted suicide basically doing the same thing, just in a different manner? California legalized this practice in 2016, and now, the state legislature is considering a bill (SB 1196) that would expand euthanasia in this state.
For instance, this bill would expand euthanasia to those who are not just terminally ill, but also to those with a “grievous and irremediable medical condition.” It would eliminate the California residency requirement. Also, it would entrench euthanasia in this state by removing the current “sunset provision,” which would currently end euthanasia on Jan. 1 1, 2031.
If someone is suicidal, should we not instead try to address what is causing their suicide ideation, be it physical, emotional, or physical? That’s what suicide hot lines are for. Why do we take such steps in some cases to save people from killing themselves, while encouraging it in other cases? Certainly, if someone is terminally ill, nature should be allowed to take its course, and life-extending measures can be morally omitted. But that is vastly different from actively killing that person. Suicide should always be opposed. I hope people speak out and contact their representatives in opposition to this bill.
Noel D’Angelo, Thousand Oaks
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: Tired of being taxed into oblivion; expanding euthanasia wrong
