Editor, The News:
Re: The truth about what our water rates pay for (Letters, Jan. 19)
Mike Boileau accuses me of being on the side of Big Brother.
Furthermore, he suggests that I am in favour of squeezing more money from those with limited income.
Since I am a disabled person living on a small fixed income, that’s hardly the case.
Before moving to Maple Ridge, I took part in what Mr. Boileau describes as the ‘bloated bureaucracy’ of Surrey’s water metering system.
In one year, my charge for water for my family of four was a little more than one quarter of the flat rate charged on property tax bills.
As a result of my experience, many friends and neighbours also took advantage of this offer and, without exception, saved money.
One elderly lady living alone paid one tenth of the amount she had previously been charged.
Does this sound like ‘gouging’ to you, Mr. Boileau?
Perhaps you are not interested in saving money, but I’m quite certain that that is not the case with most of this paper’s readership.
The present system is blatantly unfair and it’s time for a change.
Anne Rostvig
Maple Ridge
