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Dear Editor:
In 1970 our president of the United States was Richard Nixon and VP was Spiro Agnew. Our population was 205,052,174 and unemployment rate was 3.5 percent. All My Children premiered on television and Diana Ross and the Supremes performed their farewell concert. Over 30 years ago the average income was $10,000. You could buy a home for $27,000. College? Higher education was only $400 – $1200 a year. A first class stamp was only 6 cents to send a letter home. To get home it would cost you 36 cents a gallon in a car that would cost $3,900. The tires on that car would cost $13 a piece and the insurance would have been $400 a year, not a month. The bed you slept on cost $75 for the mattress and box springs. The food prices were very little compared to the prices today. Just a few are: eggs, 59 cents a dozen; milk, 62 cents a gallon; bread, 25 cents a loaf; coffee, $1.90 a pound; and donuts, 55 cents a dozen, not per donut! (All according to thepeoplehistory.com and classic70s.com).
My point you ask? The city municipal fees were $45 a year in Chester, W.Va., just as they are today! It’s the only thing that has been the same in all these years. So now I would like to ask all the business owners, will you lower your prices to be what they were over 30 years ago? In some of our neighboring towns/cities it costs hundreds of dollars yearly and they don’t have the city we do. Our city officials are trying to do the very best they can with what they have. I for one am proud to say this is my city. It is a beautiful city and with many people that work hard to make it great.
Why the increase now? Well let’s see, could it be the increase in cost of insurance for the city due to law suits, or the decrease in income from the video Lottery taxes? In the year 2013 our city received from the county $140,000 and again in 2014. It was reduced to $89,000 in 2015. This year, we received ZERO! NOTHING! The city’s liability insurance was increased to $56,000. So to all those against a $45 rise in municipal fees…How do you propose to make up the difference? Closing the city building is not the answer. The building is actually the only thing keeping the city going, by contributing $5000 for the past two months.
Come on Chester, we are a beautiful city. Inside and out! (One of the few remaining). Our residents come together and help each other all the time. From cutting grass for the handicap or elderly people to getting together and raising thousands of dollars for a family in need, we get it done! We need to step it up, help our city out, stop complaining and accept the change!
Sandi Eddy
Chester, W.Va