To the editor:

According to a Journal-World article on the cost of the school bond, the rise in the mill levy looks small. And some people say that isn’t much. The price of gas goes up, and some people say that isn’t much. At the end of the month, I look at what I have left over, and I say that isn’t much. The cost of city utilities has gone up. Co-pays for prescription meds have gone up. The state is talking about raising sales tax. You are definitely paying more at the grocery stores. I just received my new Douglas County property tax appraisal and it is a lot higher.

People who are laid off, have a low-paying job, or seniors on a fixed income have to make choices to survive financially. I want one and only one question answered. Where are these people going to get the money to pay for the privilege of living in Lawrence and Douglas County? Some who read this will smile and treat this issue as a joke. It is not funny to the people trying to make ends meet. The city is concerned with the homeless situation. These “small” increases in the cost of living will make it next to impossible for some people to own their own homes.

For those of you who read this, take it to heart. You could one day find yourself taxed out of your dream home. So the next time you see a new roundabout being built, a bike path used by a select few being planned or a consultant hired for another “study,” think about how your tax dollars are being spent.

Scott Henderson,

Lawrence