I was very moved by the article written by D. Kevin McNeir, “Flint Residents Still Suffering, Forgotten, Abandoned,” in the May 18 edition of The Informer. The events that are ongoing for the residents of Flint, Michigan, are so unimaginable it’s almost unbelievable that it’s happening in America. But what’s even more unbelievable is that if it weren’t for your article, we would not have heard anything about this ongoing tragedy. This should be one of the front-page stories on every newspaper in the country. The whole country should be up in arms about what is happening in Flint, especially urban areas. No community should have to drink unhealthy water, not in Flint or anywhere else, period! We are not talking about some third-world country, we are talking about Flint, Michigan, a city in the state of Michigan, that’s in the United States of America. The federal government should be putting as many resources as they can into fixing this problem right now, because if they don’t they will be paying a much higher price in years to come.
Larry Wallace
Washington, D.C.
Gray Gets Seniors’ Housing Plight
Thank God for Ward 7 Council member Vincent C. Gray. I’ve worked, bought a home and retired in the District of Columbia, and I hope his Property Tax Relief Bill for seniors passes [“D.C. Council Pushes Property Tax Relief for Seniors,” article by Tatyana Hopkins, May 25, 2017]. It is getting to be almost unbearable to live in the District of Columbia as a retiree. The price of everything is going up, especially food and utilities. I don’t even wash my car or water my lawn because my water bill is so high. But this price of property thing is out of control. People are selling and buying houses for triple what I paid for my house; that’s driving my property value up and my taxes up, but my income is staying the same. It’s getting to the point that I can’t afford to live here, but I’m not going to leave, so I say again, thank God for Vincent C. Gray. At least there is someone who seems to understand the pressure put on us by this crazy housing boom that’s taking place in the District of Columbia.
Curtis Walker
Washington, D.C.