Members of the city council: “Higher consumer prices shot up in June and July at the fastest pace in 26 years with two-thirds blamed on soaring energy prices.” As quoted by the U.S. Department of Labor, crude oil is still 80 percent above last year's level, even with dropping the price in recent days, gas prices are still rising, even with this happening.

Property taxes locally are rising, food prices are rising substantially, chicken that sold at a local discount store last year for 59 cents to 69 cents is now 89 cents a pound. Big government tells us to produce ethanol from corn and other grains to make more gasoline supplies available, now that drives the food prices up along with meat and vegetables.

American industries such as manufacturing and farming are being driven out of business with the loss of jobs a direct result. Our American dollar is the weakest it's been in years, Congress sits on its duff and literally does nothing. The president wants us to open up to offshore drilling. Great! We already have millions of acres now and for the past 10 years available for drilling and not a one of them has been opened. Our county and state legislators do relatively little to help us, the taxpayers, with the exception of school tax relief, thank God for small favors.

We, the public, deserve better from our elected representatives. You see now how the county officials shoved it to us taking the gas cap off. City taxes and assessments are rising at an alarming rate. No matter how you try to justify it, lifting the gas cap is a sad move. Hardly ever has a tax once imposed ever been repealed. You gentlemen of Auburn's city council have it within your power to strike a blow, however small for your constituents. Somebody, somewhere in government has to be responsible to the people. A small step in the right direction can be yours.

Bring a retired senior citizen, I hate to see all our hard work, raising six children, my wife working into her retirement years, so we can afford medical insurance and myself working two jobs for most of my 72 years to be part of the American dream go down the drain.

I can't take it any more, neither can the rest of the citizens of this community. God give us the will to continue on like our American servicemen and women, who put up with a hell of a lot more.

Jim Barker

Auburn