THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509220200
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Wouldn't this be a better world to live in if there were more honest leaders like Dalton S. Edge and Robert T. Nance Jr. of the Chesapeake City Council?
I strongly agree with their opinion that citizens should not be charged for a commodity they cannot use.
Mayor William E. Ward, on the other hand, seems to straddle the fence and is of the notion that giving the citizens a rebate for water they cannot use may not serve the best interest of the city in the long run. Does that mean it is all right to charge the people of Chesapeake anyway?
There is an area in St. Petersburg, Fla., with a similar problem, and citizens of that area are not charged for bad water.
I sincerely hope Mr. Edge and Vice Mayor Nance will continue to put people first.
L. Bond
Tifton Street What's ``temporary?''
I'm writing in regard to Mayor William E. Ward's comment in The Chesapeake Clipper Sept. 10 that all that's needed is to upgrade the Northwest River water treatment plant and that the problem of salty water is temporary.
I wonder how long is ``temporary'' to Mayor Ward.
You see, I moved into Chesapeake in November 1983. I took one swallow of the water, drew the glass back and said, ``Man, this tastes like salt.'' One month later I moved to Suffolk. Eleven years later I got a good deal on a house and moved back to Chesapeake. Guess what! My dog won't even drink it now.
Councilman Dalton S. Edge says that we should get a rebate. Looks like Mayor Ward and his puppets know that they are going to have to give us a rebate. Is this why they raised the water rates - to give us back 10 cents of the $2.10 rate hike?
Who's going to pay for the dishwasher that is being ruined with salt, not to mention our water heaters being eaten out? Salt builds up around the heating element and reduces the efficiency of heating, costing us more electricity to heat our water.
Now Mayor Ward tells us voting for the water bond issue will solve the problem. I will not vote for it. You see, we not only have salt problems, we have 200 miles of asbestos pipe. Salt deteriorates metal, but asbestos kills.
If they couldn't do it right in 1980, what makes them think they are going to do it right in 1995?
Good luck in the election to Mayor Ward and the rest of the puppets who voted for the $2.10 rate increase. Congratulations to Councilman Edge on his next win.
Gragg Harkins
Haledon Road No response
On Aug. 24, I faxed a letter to the mayor, the vice mayor and members of the City Council supporting more equitable property taxes on recreational vehicles in Chesapeake.
To date, although I indicated their comments would be welcome, I have heard from only one councilman, Dr. Alan P. Krasnoff. I thank him for that.
Interestingly, when Warren Cooke wrote to members of the council about the same issue, he received no response until a number of weeks later, when he spoke to the issue at a council meeting. Does this mean that for a citizen to receive a response from the council, one must appear before them at the regularly scheduled meetings? If so, that's going to be a crowded room!
Betty R. Ricks
Sierra Drive by CNB