I wrote this email to Mike McGuire, my CA State Senator:
I am writing this to protest the discrimination against retired people exhibited by the California Legislature in the passage of this bill. Originally, Gov Newsome promised inflation relief for the owners of automobiles in response to the recent inflation of gasoline prices. Now, according to The Sacramento Bee of 9/23/2022, it seems my wife and I will get nothing. Mr. McGuire why do you hate the elderly?
My wife and I are 69 years old. We have lived in California for many years, in the Santa Cruz area since 1981, and in Eureka since 2004.
We both paid our taxes, and for gasoline (incidentally, Humboldt County has the highest gas prices in the entire State, and has had them for well over 20 years). We pay our automobile license fees every year ($211 in 2022).
I retired early when Gotshalks, my employer, went bankrupt in 2009. I had wrecked my back there (shleping Tempurpedic Mattresses out to customers vehicles) and qualified for disability. In 2015, when I turned 62, disability turned into regular Social Security. Between my wife and I we bring in a total of $2,349 each month – our sole income. Oh, I have a gig creating and maintaining a web site for an Actor friend done in Salinas, but that only increases our income by $50. We have in recent years filed income tax returns, but it is not taxable.
I and my wife are lifelong Democrats. Neither of us has ever voted for a Republican, and you can be sure we both voted for you in the elections since we arrived in Eureka in 2004.
The Republitards here say we are getting screwed, That the Democrats don’t care about us. That we don’t contribute anything (taxes) so we don’t deserve anything. Is this true? The conditions of this recent bill sound like it is.
His flapper (Re: Gullivers Travels) replied:
Subject: Gas Prices
Dear Mr. Arseneau:
Thank you for contacting Senator McGuire’s office. We certainly understand your frustration about inflation and gas prices – this is so hard on so many Californians. One piece of “good news:” Seasonal gas prices are just about to drop as we move into the winter blend – often there’s a few weeks of spiked prices as stations pump out the last of costlier summer blend. Here’s more info: The Difference Between Summer-Blend and Winter-Blend Gasoline (gasbuddy.com)
Regarding, the middle-class tax refund. Did you file a 2020 tax return? If so, you can estimate your refund here: Middle Class Tax Refund Estimator | FTB.ca.gov. While I understand that you don’t have taxable income, I’m unsure whether or not you will qualify. You can read more here: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/about-ftb/newsroom/middle-class-tax-refund/index.html and call the constituent help line at 800-542-9332, weekdays, 8 am – 5 pm. Overall, the program uses tax returns as a way to issue the refunds expeditiously, and to prevent fraud.
Please be in touch with any further comments or questions! Senator McGuire is working hard on policies and legislation that serve ALL Californians in District 2.
Respectfully,
Nora Mounce
District Representative/Communications Coordinator
Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire
Nora.Mounce@sen.ca.gov
(707) 445-6508
Notice Ms. Mounce’s subject is “Gas Prices.” But my email had really nothing to do with gas prices. It had to do with seniors being screwed out of promised money – Seniors on fixed incomes who are nonetheless paying out of pocket the same as any other Californian.
So she didn’t actually address the subject, but rather danced around it. I’ve already voted for Senator McGuire (I tend to vote my ballot as soon as it arrives in the mail). I can’t take it back.
<sigh>
