Option #2: Dear Editor - Essay Example

-respecting senior citizen of the state of New York, I cannot willingly accept such a hand-out on the basis that it will have a direct effect on others who are not senior citizens but have been more severely affected by the hurricane and blizzard. Prior to the advent of Hurricane Sandy and the blizzard, I was already worried about the regularly increasing cost of my heating expenses with every gas company bill that I received. I will admit that our gas prices in this part of the city are at a record high, even during the mildest weather that we have experienced this year.

Even then I already knew of families who did not have a senior citizen as a head of the household who could barely meet the cost of keeping their homes warm. I am worried that these people – my friends and neighbors – will be forced to shoulder the discount privilege that I shall enjoy should this city commission ruling be passed. They will take the brunt of my gas utility expense at a whopping 38 percent while struggling to keep themselves warm during the winter months. Senior citizens should not be a party to such a crime.

We should not steal heat from others who also need it by accepting a subsidy that we did not ask for. I have tried to contact City Hall about this issue, but my pleas and explanation have fallen upon deaf ears. During this election year, the politicians seem to be hell-bent on simply making sure they retain their positions in the next local elections and nothing more. With the senior citizens as a growing block of solid voters in our area, they want nothing more than to please us, even if it means ignoring the upcoming generation of important voters.

Our local politicians should be praised for taking the senior citizen section of our community into consideration during this difficult season. However, a large portion of our city is still without regular power and gasoline is still being rationed in some parts as well. This means that most New Yorkers will be wearing at