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They are not living they just sleep here. They dont even get to see their spouses or kids. Kids run wild in the Mall. The community has gone all out for these orphans. Yet get no respect from them or the parents.
In all my years of working and living in the Panhandle and knowing hundreds and hundreds of people, both customers, friends and neighbors, I've never witnessed any pandemic of commuters' 'orphans' running wild anywhere.
Most commuters kids I know are either in after school care or involved in community / sports activities (or at a neighbors house or being watched by a neighbor)
I mean there are mall rats in every mall across America- it's not due the 'commuters', lol.
Our community has gone a long way in having a place for these kids to go. Parents voted & suport everything that for the kids. But when it comes to just 1 thing the elderly & handicap NEED they vote NO.... Of couse if their kids are included they are all for it BUT still cry about the cost.
Let me clarify that- what was voted 'yes' and what was voted 'no'? I don't recall any referendums being placed on the ballot other than parks and rec or school bonds in Berkeley County. I don't recall seeing a referendum for senior assistance.
And Berkeley County has been very concerned about rising taxes for the elderly and the honorable Mr. Gooden is a very vocal supporter of freezing property taxes when someone reaches the age of 65. It has community support, local political support, but NOT the support of the state legislature.
Quote:
Recently, Republican delegates from the Eastern Panhandle joined together to draft a new proposal that aims to revise the state’s Homestead Property Tax Exemption. If approved, the proposal would freeze property taxes for homeowners who turn 65. The resident would continue to receive the existing $20,000 tax credit on their home, while also knowing their property tax bill would never rise, said Delegate Craig Blair, R-Berkeley.
The proposal would also limit property tax increases for younger homeowners, he noted. Under the legislation, which is still being drafted, Blair said no individual’s tax bill would be permitted to rise by more than 10 percent in a given year.
“It’s designed to give tax fairness to everybody, not just seniors,” Blair said.
The legislation is one of several property tax initiatives that have come before the West Virginia Legislature since the existing Homestead Exemption was created in 1980. Since then, area legislators say, property values in the area have increased to the point where the $20,000 credit barely covers a home’s front porch. They have attempted to alleviate the burden that these rising values have placed on seniors and others with fixed incomes.
“We need to protect our seniors,” Blair said. “We’ve got to do something.”
The POOLS Were for the Handicapt & Elderly! But instead of 1 for our use they insisted on it being 3 pools..& now that the votes say no we cant afford it. 34 years in this town & now I have to leave do to health problems... AND even the Nat Gaurds donated land for the project..still turned down. City Hospital was planning on helping too. & some one died & left the Parks & Rec enough money for 1 in door pool for the elderly.
Threerun is correct, most people in Martinsburg don't work right in DC unless they take the MARC train (a mere 2 hour ride). A lot of Berkeley County residents commute to Frederick MD for work or to the many tech and research companies along the I-270 corridor in Montgomery County MD. Many more also work in the Dulles Tech Corridor of Northern VA in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties. I simply can't imagine how long it would take during the morning rush hours to drive from Martinsburg into DC, couldn't be less than 2.5 to 3 hours.
I drive from just east of Martinsburg to Metro Center every day. I leave a little before 8 and am at my desk by 10. It sucks, but trust me, when I moved out here I had NOT planned on working in DC (I was self employed). But then I got an offer that was just too good to pass up.
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