Tax hike to impact owner who put time, money into property

Re: Freeland defends tax hike on richest, Apr. 18

I am certainly not close to being in the top one per cent, but I will be significantly impacted by the new capital gains tax.

Thirty-two years ago, when I first moved to Ottawa to begin my nursing career, I bought a triplex close to the Civic Hospital because I needed the rental income to be able to afford to live close to my work.

I lived in a one-bedroom apartment for 25 years and renovated the building as I could afford it.

I am retired now and as long as my health is good, I will keep the rental property. If I do have to sell it in the future, I will be put in a position that I will have to pay a much higher capital gains tax.

This is who the government is targeting.

The top one per cent have accountants and lawyers to avoid capital gains. I do not.

Robert Broatch, Ottawa

We should thank PM, Freeland for plan

Re: Freeland defends tax hike on richest, Apr. 18

I think people forget that in 1950 in both the U.S. and Canada, the tax rate for the very rich was 90 per cent. That means that a corporate executive earning $12,000,000 per year would have to squeak by on $1,200,000 take-home pay per year. Oh, the humanity.

Now, he only has an average eight per cent tax rate, while the middle class pays about 26 per cent.

We should be thanking the Prime Minister and Chrystia Freeland for taking a tiny bit more.

If we had the courage to go back to 1950 rates, the poor would be fed, the homeless housed and the middle class would be back, strong and well.

Annabel Buckley, Ottawa

Public service cuts are unfair

Re: Ranks of public service to drop by 5,000 through `natural' attrition, Apr. 16

In the federal budget, the government announced cuts to the public service, which is the soul of Ottawa's buzzing activities.

While Canadians complain that there are cuts to every service like Passport Canada and Service Canada, immigration, customs and Revenue Canada offices, the federal budget disgracefully cuts, once again, our public servants, who are still faced with the Phoenix pay debacle.

Public servants are to be part of the financial solution, but they are being decimated with cuts to vital staff and program services.

Public servants are taken for granted. While they are needed to deliver complex programs, they are dropped like a hot potato to balance the budget.

ADAM HURAS/BRUNSWICK NEWS The budget revealed a hike to the capital gains tax, focusing on corporations, trusts and high earners. Robert Broatch, who owns a rental property, says he will be greatly impacted by the tax.