To the editor:
Just over a year ago as I was collecting signatures that we needed for our secession committee to have a public hearing with the city, I had a chance to talk to a lot of people about their taxes and ongoing problems with Caribou.
One of many stories that still haunts me today is an older gentleman in his eighties, who has lived here all his life and had lost his wife a few years ago. After signing my petition, he said, “You are going to help me save my home?” I then told him I could not promise him anything. I said, “Your signature was only to have a public hearing with the city to see if they would do anything for the citizens of the community.”
The man started crying. I asked him what was wrong. He told me he paid his taxes every year when his wife was here, but now with only his income he can’t pay them and he was two years behind and had no way to pay. I left his house that night with tears in my eyes and to this day I can’t forget about it.
As I write this story, he is not the only one that is struggling and living on a fixed income trying to stay in their homes. Many people know we, the secession committee, have had different meetings with the city to give them different ideas of things they could do to help keep people in their homes. The council has not even tried to do anything; in fact, the exact words from the council are we are “asking for the impossible.”
Just for the record, councilors, we are not asking for the impossible. We are asking you to stop spending money like there is no end to it and help people who are living on fixed incomes to stay in their homes, which is what they want.
For all of you who don’t mind paying money on high taxes so the city can spend money ridiculously, think about your family, friends and neighbors who are living on fixed incomes and struggling to stay in their homes.
What the secession committee is asking is for everybody to help us so people will be able to live and stay in their homes in Lyndon.
