I heard about the proposed rate increase for water and sewer and I have to wonder who the Powers That Be in this city think we are? Look around and you’ll see lots of vacant houses, lots of closed businesses, scarce and poor paying jobs, and people living on fixed incomes. I’m in the latter group. My Social Security, which I had to take earlier than I wanted due to an inability to find a job, is not going to increase any time soon. I barely have enough money to buy food and pay rent. My $80 water/sewer bill is my largest bill. I can’t afford to pay more on an already hard to pay bill. The bills keep going up, the income does not. It doesn’t matter that other places in California pay more for their water/sewer bills. We are one of the poorest counties in the state with higher than state-average unemployment! Whoever decided we need to pay more on such a necessary service needs to realize who we are and where we are. We can't give more of what we don't have. Ernie Cox Crescent City, Ca.