It's cheaper to pay tax than to drive to Cd'A

In response to the Sept. 9 letter by Phil Poutre:

My business spent more than $100,000 at “locally owned” Ponderay and Sandpoint businesses last year, purchases subject to sales tax. Using that figure the proposed additional tax on my purchases would be $500. If I was to make the same purchases in Coeur d’Alene or Hayden I would incur fuel expense and the cost of my time, or delivery charges. My car gets 19 miles to the gallon, it takes five gallons to drive to Coeur d’Alene and back, at $3.75 per gallon, it costs me $18.75 per trip to Coeur d’Alene. I would have to spend $3,750 in Coeur d’Alene to cover the local option tax savings. I can’t recover the cost of my time.

Each of the businesses included in my figure above have agreed to help when approached by myself or my husband on behalf of a local charity, benefit or other community event, financially and/or in material donations. It’s businesses like Sandpoint Furniture/Carpet One, Sears, the car dealerships, that make many of our local events possible. I don’t see Coeur d’Alene/Hayden stores sponsoring the fair, 4-H, Bulldog Bench, Community Cancer Services, etc.

Although I own property in Sandpoint and run a business in Ponderay, I don’t have the opportunity to vote for either city’s proposed local option tax. In any case, if either passes I won’t shift my business down south, but I may keep a closer eye on the cities to make sure the revenue from the tax is spent as promised.

BARBARA SCHRIBER

Sandpoint