Citizen’s comment upset reader

Published 4:35 am Saturday, February 3, 2018

Dear Editor,

I would like to respond to a comment that was published in the Daily News’s Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, edition.

The front page of the paper had an article entitled, “Citizens question water bills,” by Marcelle Hanemann.

Concerned citizen, Marvin Taylor, attending the Bogalusa City Council meeting, questioned Mayor Wendy Perrette as to if something could be done to lessen the high water bills that resulted from residents running water to keep their pipes from freezing.

Mr. Taylor is then quoted as saying, “The water is just going down in the ground, that’s a big bill to pay. I’m OK, but poor people don’t have it. If you want to charge it, do it. But there will be a recall. Everybody in Bogalusa is on SSI or welfare.”

Mr. Taylor, I beg to differ with you — not everybody in Bogalusa is on SSI or welfare.

Bogalusa has citizens who are drawing honest paychecks. Others, like my husband and I, draw our well-deserved retirement checks after working a combined total of 72 years and nine months.

Look about, when going to our local stores, restaurants, banks, hospital, paper mill, city hall, etc. People are working!

After learning a Bogalusa resident had busted pipes multiple times, we purchased materials to insulate pipes and wrapped plastic around the home. That resident had no busted pipes during the last arctic blast!

To all those citizens who are out there and “doing OK,” perhaps you could do a good deed and assist someone in paying their water bill.

Faye C. Stewart

Bogalusa