By Citrus Heights resident Katherine Sterrett–
[RE: Citrus Heights Water District to vote on new double-digit rate increase; Nov. 21st] It makes me so very angry and sad that our water company wants to, yet again, raise customer water rates so the company workers can get a high six-figure salary, so the company does not go into debt. Where is the logic in that?
Oh, I forgot, they want to live high on the highway while the customers decide if they want to eat or pay their now higher water bill so the company can do whatever they want because they are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer.
I would love to see the company execs live on my salary. I make $520 a week. I have a $1,034/month mortgage. Plus, I have all my utility bills to pay, as well as car insurance, gas and food.
I only eat two times a day because I don’t make enough to eat more. I eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast two burritos for my lunch/dinner. Those two burritos are 75 cents. I live on about $1.50 of food a day because I can’t afford more…
I need a new car. I have 196,507 miles on it. It needs a lot of work done on it, but I can’t afford a new car or afford the work that needs to be done to my existing one.
I would like to see the water district execs live on my salary, have my bills, and see what it’s like to have no extra money for a rate hike. They need to live like others do to actually see what we are going through…
(Letter shortened due to 250-word limit)
OTHER LETTER(S):
Water rate hike will make problems worse
The City of Citrus Heights should look for other water sources. The city already looks like a slum area due to the fact that residents will not water their yards. Even businesses along Sunrise Boulevard have dead grass areas and weeds growing.
A rate increase will only make it worse. Many new families with small children are just trying to make ends meet, as are seniors on fixed income.
We can’t just vote ourselves a $99/hr raise. Sure wish we could. Just another reason to leave California!
—Kay Davis, Citrus Heights
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