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The Fresno Bee
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December 11, 2005
Page E2 |
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Letter: 'See the poverty'
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| As seniors, my husband and I each received a wonderful Christmas gift from our government the other day. Beginning in January, we each will receive a $36 cost of living raise, a total of $72 per month. But, of course, the cost of our Medicare benefits increased at the same time. Therefore, our "gifts" netted us a monthly sum of $20.60. With this kind of gift, we can live high off the hog, can't we?
To our Valley lawmakers, Assembly Members Juan Arambula and Dave Cogdill and state Sen. Jeff Denham we say "thank you" for declining their pay raises [story Dec. 3]. These gentlemen understand the plight of the average Californian just trying to make ends meet. Living costs increase daily for most of us, yet our elected representatives, state and federal, think nothing of giving themselves unconscionable raises. We would like to get a 12% raise, too, but we don't. We have to be satisfied with $20.60 a month. There are probably thousands of seniors who won't even get that. We need officials who see the poverty that exists in our country and will put a moratorium on their pay raises, showing the American public they care. Rosemary Minasian Fresno |
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© 2005 The Fresno Bee
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