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I need a refund of my taxes

Sep 16, 2014 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I am absolutely frustrated and angry at the utter disregard shown by my fellow Guyanese for the welfare of others and the environment.
For many years I have been plagued by a host of respiratory problems caused by inhaling toxic fumes from the burning of plastic items, Styrofoam boxes etc. My immediate neighbour has chosen to callously dispose the garbage from his bar by burning it daily in a concrete structure which was built on the ‘government’s reserve’ with the blessings of the local NDC. My complaints to the EPA, Police, Local Govt. Ministry, RDC and NDC have been met with apathy and ridicule. By publicizing my plight I have only added more fuel to the fire.
Officials of the Local Govt. Ministry and RDC (Region 4) informed me that this problem falls within the jurisdiction of the NDC in my neighbourhood. The NDC was notified in my presence to remedy the situation but refuses to act. I was left astounded on numerous occasions by the partiality and indifference shown by these people who are tasked with serving the community.
Why am I paying taxes when I am treated as a second class citizen in my own country? What makes my neighbour different from me and gives him the right to brazenly poison me and my family without consequence? I wonder if these educated officials know that the burning of certain materials release cancerous chemicals and hormone-altering toxins into the air, which has been proven to greatly increase the risk of cancer and other debilitating illnesses.
Have you ever wondered why Guyanese respect and conform to the laws of foreign countries?
I don’t believe that they will brazenly litter and sexually harass women on the streets of New York City because they know that there are consequences to certain actions and they cannot pay or ignore their way out of it. Guyana is a lawless land where rules and regulations are just decoration on paper. People, especially the dumb and rich, do as they please because they know that there are two sets of people here, and first class citizens derive all the benefits of being Guyanese.
I need a refund of my taxes for legal fees to remedy my predicament. These entities that exist on taxpayers’ money are just white elephants for the poor and voiceless. If I won’t be around to enjoy the benefits of paying taxes then why should I pay? Let the people who really benefit pay. I have no intention of martyring myself for selfishness and filth. Do the sanitation workers that are tasked with maintaining the environmental health of communities know the meaning of the word ‘pollution’ and the serious health complications of it? I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t, since we all know how far the tentacles of nepotism and political loyalty have embedded themselves in society.
Narissa Deokarran

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