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September ?th, 1965
<br />
<br />VIRGINIA:
<br />
<br /> I, Cecil W. Johnson, Clerk of The Court of Hustings for the City of Portsmouth, in the State of
<br />Virginia, do certify that the foregoing is a true abstract of the votes cast at th~ election above
<br />named, as certified, signed and attested according to law and filed in the Clerk's Office of said
<br />Court.
<br />
<br /> Cecil W. Johnson
<br />Clerk of The Court of Hustings for
<br />the City of Portsmouth, Virginia
<br />
<br />On motion of 5{r. Barnes, received as information.
<br />
<br /> 65-258 - The following communication from the National Association of
<br />Retired Civil Employees was read:
<br />
<br /> "There is now before you a proposal by ~r. John L. Dillon to lift
<br />the Sales Tax on Medical Drugs dispensed by pharmacists throughout the City of Portsmouth, Virginia,
<br />which our ~ortsmouth Chapter No. 65 of The National Association of Retired,-Civil Employees wholeheartedly
<br />supports.
<br /> Our Chapter No. 65, in a meeting of its Executive Committee on
<br />26 August 1965, unanimously went on record as opposing this Sales Tax and wholeheartedly supporting
<br />the proposal by Mr. Dillon for lifting it. Our Association represents a large group of elder citizens.
<br /> As this is a matter of much concern to all segments of our citizenry
<br />and will, in a large measure, affect the economic status of its elder citizens who live, for the most
<br />part, on a fixed income and a~e more susceptible to illnesses, this tax has had considerable impact upon
<br />retirees and other older groups who, in the sunset days of their lives, have made Portsmouth, Va., their
<br />home. For this reason, we would like you to extend us the privilege of having a ~presentative or
<br />representatives to appear before your body at the hearing on September 7, 1965."
<br />
<br />Motion of Mr. Barnes to suspend the rules to hear from interested persons
<br />
<br />was adopted.
<br />
<br />Mario Fernandes, President, Chapter 63 NARCE, spoke.
<br />
<br />John M. Barringer, President, Tidewater Veterans Association. spoke and
<br />
<br />presented the following:
<br />
<br /> "The most of you know me - but for the benefit of those that don't -
<br />I am John M. Barringer, Presid~mt of the Tidewater Veterans Association and Jr. Vice Commander of the
<br />Veterans of World War I, Dept. of Virginia, and a Portsmouth resident for more than twenty years or more.
<br /> Our Tidewater Veterans consist of various veterans organizations
<br />from all over Tidewater as; Portsmouth, Norfolk, Va. Beach and Chesapeake, with wel] over a membership
<br />of 15,000 veterans and their auxiliaries, and over 2,000 in Portsmouth.
<br /> My purpose is to give you, Mr. Mayor and your Worthy members of
<br />the City Council - a little food for thought, 'There are literally hundreds in Portsmouth ~hat are now
<br />or will be on the very bottom, but yet they are forced to,spend their last pennies and pay into the
<br />Treasure of the City of Portsmouth as Medical Sales Tax, to be sure that the medicine they are now taking
<br />might allow them to see 'the light of another day'. In another few weeks our Social Security benefits
<br />will be increased - Yes 7% - but did you know, Gentlemen, %hat this little 7% is going to amount to maybe
<br />a raise of $50 a year but that $30 approximately a year is going to force the veteran ~o~16se:hist¥Aup~n~ion
<br />of several hundred, in many cases the VA and Social Security is ail they get.
<br /> So without going into this matter any further we, T~e Tidewater
<br />Veterans Association have drawn this Resolution:-
<br />
<br /> 'W~EREAS, In the City of Norfolk, at a regular meeting of the
<br />Tidewater Veterans Association, with a full quorum present, a very touching matter concerning our aged,
<br />young babies and small children, which are mixed in with veterans of the past years, was brought into
<br />the open - not only in Norfolk but in all the cities covered by our Association - where this medical
<br />Sales Tax is in force, and
<br /> WHEREAS, There are literally hundreds of people, some way below
<br />the poverty class as outlined in our Democratic form of Government, that are suffering from the worries
<br />of o,ld age, malnutrition otc, which are causing ~ndue hardships upon them to exist under the heavy burdens
<br />of this Taxation, and
<br /> WHEREAS, Owing to an increase in Social Security benefits, that
<br />will be payable soon, thousands of veterans will lose their VA pensions. This 7% will put them above
<br />the earnings as set forth by the VA, thereby causing them to gain approximately $30 in Social Security
<br />and lose several hundreds in pensions on a yearly basis, and
<br /> WHEREAS, The TIDEWATER VETERANS ASSOCIATION with the Portsmouth
<br />veterans organizations that are members, representing several thousand, are ~itally interested in this
<br />existing condition, and now, therefore, be it
<br /> RESOLVED, That ~tE TIDEWATER VETERANS ASSOCIATION has moved and
<br />unanimously adopted a motion to petition the Mayor and Councilmen of the City of Portsmouth duly assembled
<br />on this 7th day of September 1965, to so consider the above and if acceptable do, pass the necessary
<br />laws, to, 'Eliminate the Medical Sales Tax on all ~edical supplies for the good people of Portsmouth, .,
<br />and be it further,
<br /> RESOLVED~ To include in this Sales Tax Exemption bracket that of
<br />MILK for the undernourished babies and children of the coming generations that they may have strong
<br />healthy bodies and minds to carry on the work you Gentlementhave so nobly outlined in you FORward
<br />Portsmouth movements."
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Johnson that the information received at this meeting be
<br />referred to a conference for study, along with other information.
<br />
<br />On motion of Mr. Barnes, the motion was amended to read "to a conference to
<br />
<br />
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