EDITOR:

We find ourselves in a sad state of affairs. Regular gasoline has gone up in price to $3.20 a gallon, an increase of about $1.50 a gallon in the past year. Stopping the construction of the Keystone Pipeline to appease the “tree huggers” didn’t help matters. Lumber has sky rocketed in cost, putting the skids on new construction. In the meanwhile, the cost in housing has gone through the roof. Now home prices are great, if you already own your home. But if you hope to buy, hang onto your wallet. If you happen to be a renter, well the future is bleak for you too.

With our economy headed for inflation, the likes we have not seen in our lifetimes, we must prioritize and get back to basics. No frills. Fortunately we live on the Great Lakes and enjoy an abundance of water. But wait, even that basic necessity is costing all of us an exorbitant amount of money. Is it really necessary to charge that much? Even when one is gone south for the winter the bills are high. I was away for five months and still paid, on average, $31 for water and $13 for waste water each month. And the house was totally empty.

I implore our city leaders to hold the cost of water to a bare minimum. After all, water is not a luxury. It is a basic necessity we all need in our daily lives. Having said that, I think all utility consumers have an obligation to be judicial in their usage. If we reduce waste, we all may benefit.

Gary Carlson

Escanaba