OPEN LETTER :

TO : Dear Representatives of LA CITY,

This is a request that you revise your INDIRECT TAXATION of further increasing the 'solid waste' trash fees - that have already recently been exceptionally enlarged - for whatever purposes you deem 'more necessary' to spend OUR money upon. This increase should be stopped & another plan created for fund-raising.

This act is almost like a public deceit... by your not trying to raise taxes Directly ...with an open honest explanation of the amount of funds needed. And why are other places not being directly taxed, but the tax put on the poorer tenants [and wealthier property owners] of this City ?

As an long-time apt. tenant, I take out 1 medium plastic bag of garbage per week... but I am being required to pay the city an EXORBITANT AMOUNT for that collection, regardless of my being on a very low fixed income as an elder, who cant afford to pay for a house, if I wanted one.

Currently that is about $4.25 per my 1 plastic bag. Isn't that rather high ?

This trash collection fee is way beyond reasonable and too broad alloted-based, when it is not per property owners [whose houses & bldgs have appreciated well over the years, even if prices dont remain as high as they want at the moment ] while Renters have had our rent amounts increased every year - even under Rent Control, cummulatively it comes to over 24% over last 5 years from this July !

That means most renters are paying for our utilities, for rent increases, for inflation on every base living level, and yet now are required to pay even MORE for trash collection because your budget can't provide for some services ? huh?

For a large family living in a big house or small apt, and if they trash 2-3-4 cans full per week, that may be still a high fee increase, but is there no variance for # of tenants paying per apt. ?

Or any discount, or other distribution accounting for how much trash, or income a person has?

Where is anything fair in this ?

Whose non-brilliant idea was it to tax us via 'fees' and pretend it is not another burden we cant afford?

Why are utility-paying tenants being crushed further with this ploy, when one increase last year on solid waste collection was already hefty and unreasonable as well ?

Please reconsider this intended action, and please inform me and all LA city residents why and who decided to act so unjustly ?

Many of us who write articles, blog and speak on radio programs, and contact all levels of other government and voters, are upset and we feel manipulated by this 'new' enforced attack on our limited incomes.

FYI - California PERS has given a cost of living increase that is 1.8% for the year. How does this compare with the increases you are proposing ? Who loses ? And who votes for you ?

I would appreciate a response, hopefully not just of the formal excuses and pacification kind, but a genuine reply to my concerns, as I will be passing your information on to others who are also outraged and concerned about almost not being able to stay afloat in the city of LA.

thank you.

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LA CITY readers of this, please write, call, unite to

not permit this abuse of 'taxation' w/o representation, as no one 'asked' any of us if we could afford this increase and why our city govt wants to burden us with their not being able to legitimately raise funds for whatever they want to spend it on...now....

Dont sit back and let them trash us...as they just did

that by raising the trash collection fees with no one

being able to comment, question, or reduce that. I

called LA Muni Services and was informed - yes, I am helpless as a citizen, just pay it and ....

so we need to complain, correct & empower the people who are being unfairly taxed by these fees.

DO SOMETHING positive. Rise Up, out of the 'bin'.