REGARDING Saturday's editorial on capital gains tax: I agree with everything you said, and the sentiment with which you said it.
I am not young, I am not poor. I feel we all have an obligation to bear our share of taxes, regardless of the source of income.
In the US, we paid taxes on income from our employers, income on dividends and capital gains from stock funds, and income on the capital gain on the sale of our own home in California.
Americans accept all forms of money received as income, subject to taxation. A particular cohort does not get to trade property free of taxes within their exclusive club as they do in New Zealand. Greed overwhelms fairness for too many Kiwis, and that is a shameful thing.
Something about CGT in the US, though: Long-term capital gains are taxed at a lower rate (15 per cent) than short-term gains (28 per cent, approximately). So you would pay less tax on a property you had held for a long time. A short-term sale is taxed at a higher rate — fair, if you think about it (kind of like the bright-line test — where quick turnover is clearly being done for profit, which should be taxed pronto).
BARBARA CALLAGHAN
Whanganui
Thank you, Jackie
I would like to thank a lady whose first name was Jackie (sorry, did not get your last name).
She picked me up between 6.20pm and 6.30pm in Liverpool St on February 7.
I wish to thank her very much.
Your kindness was very much appreciated. God bless you.
D SUTTON
Whanganui
Our debt to refugees
Perhaps we should imagine the disruption, horror and hardship that force families to walk away from their homes, jobs, wider family and friends then finally their country.
They wouldn't do that if all was sweet and rosy, would they?
We have a responsibility to welcome some of these homeless in. Yes, even when we have homeless of our own. Why? Because, in many cases, our finger was in the pie that destroyed their homelands.
Aotearoa NZ has, too many times, joined our so-called friends and allies, USA, Britain and many other Nato countries in their drive to rule the world and extract anything of value from someone else's country, no matter the cost to that country and its people.
Their invasions and interference in countless numbers of countries has caused the death and misery of many hundreds of thousands of men, women and children.
Chile, for example in the Pinochet years, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria etc. Whether we gave physical support or not, we did not vehemently oppose these invasions, the meddling and destruction.
The Yemen, Venezuela, at this very time, all have the smell of Uncle Sam's finger stirring the pot. And we seem to say nothing.
But when we take these homeless, countryless people in, get it right, Government. Don't just rush around in frenzied excitement making announcements; do your homework.
Ensure that the groundwork is done, that we have housed our own, then have sufficient housing, schools, medical services etc to provide these folk with the care they will need.
Then we will welcome them with open arms, because that is what Whanganui does.
DENISE LOCKETT
Whanganui
Cafe's good cheer
On Tuesday afternoon, before we left the hospital, my wife and I decided to call into the cafe for a coffee after receiving some bad news.
I would just like to say thank you to the lady who was working there. The atmosphere was wonderful, and we were surrounded by a lot of laughter, which lifted our spirits. The service was spot on and so was the coffee.
The half-hour we were there you even managed for us to forget our problems, so we are very grateful.
Thank you so much. We will be back.
C BARNES
Marton
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