To the editor:
The Town of Shrewsbury has broken its word to our senior citizens.? At the January 22nd Board of Selectmen meeting, a SELCO representative announced the senior citizen discount for cable services will be discontinued.? Present senior subscribers will see their cable fees gradually increased while new senior subscribers will never receive the discount.
Shrewsbury senior citizens have seen huge fee and tax increases, enduring increases in trash fees, previous cable fee increases, water taxes, sewer taxes, property taxes and debt exclusion taxes.?? These increases amount to over $600 per year, six times greater than the new middle school tax increase.
In addition to the onerous fees and taxes, seniors have faced increases in home heating fuel, gasoline taxes, electric bills, and massive increases in food costs.?? Seniors have seen the value of their social security payments dwindle due to two years of no increase in their monthly Social Security while their Medicare premiums have increased.? Meanwhile, some town employees have seen annual salary increases of 2, 4, 7 and even 12%.
To have the new fees stopped, present and? future seniors must make their views known by writing, emailing and calling SELCO and the? Town Administration demanding the higher cable fees for seniors be cancelled.
The senior citizen cable discount was agreed to by the Shrewsbury town government.? A time limit was absent in the agreement. The town government should honor its agreement and rescind the senior citizen cable fee increases.
Benjamin W. Tartaglia, Sr., Town Meeting Member, Precinct 6
