Reader opinion During the Winter War, my grandparents donated their gold rings – I could pay more taxes now

Opinion|Reader’s opinion

Russian brutal attack on Ukraine activates without the help of war memorials. I was born during the Winter War and of course I don’t remember anything about it. But after the war, I wondered about Grandma and Grandpa’s metallic rings. They said they had donated their gold rings to the war effort.

That common spirit that prevailed at the time could also emerge now, even though Russia has not directly attacked Finland this time, but we want to help the Ukrainians in their fight and ensure our own security.

I am therefore not proposing the collection of gold rings, but a small tax increase, especially for those of us who are well off. In this way, we could better finance support and security expenditure without compromising on what is needed. You would think you could afford it and you wanted to.

The same tax increase could also finance the severe backwardness of medical and social wages. Caregivers do invaluable work.

In this regard, I am reminded of my own experience in the early 1970s when I was hiring a babysitter in the absence of daycare. To determine the salary to be paid, I asked the social side of my hometown for advice on how much to pay for such a service under the law at the time: Such was the appalling response I received then. I believe and hope that attitudes towards caregivers have changed since then.

Marja-Leena Lyyra-Kukkonen

Licentiate of Philosophy, retired university lecturer

Espoo

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