To the Editor:

I think that Grant County needs a swimming pool, but here are the reasons I am going to vote against a swimming pool tax:

1. Food costs are going up.

2. Fuel costs are going up.

3. Labor costs are going up.

4. Property values are going up.

5. Rent will go up if property tax goes up.

6. The drought we are in is having a major impact on the food chain.

These costs are increasing at a faster rate than normal. The senior citizens living here are going to have a hard time absorbing the increase in these costs. Food is going to be hard to get because we do not have the water to grow the food. This is going to drive the cost of food up even more. Take a moment to look at where the drought is located in the Western part of the United States. It is the area where the food is grown. If they do not have the water, they cannot grow the food.

We do not have control over the costs listed above. What we do have control over is adding additional costs to our senior citizens.

I am going to vote no on the swimming pool tax, and I am asking you to not add this additional burden on our citizens.

 Tom Sutton

John Day