Water Rate Hikes Unfair
To The Editor:

I was dismayed upon hearing on the local radio and TV news programs that water bills will rise to an exorbitant increase. With Con Edison bills on the increase, fuel oil and gasoline price increases and the general cost of living increasing, how can New Yorkers afford to pay for water rates and rising rent? The utilities have to provide better service prior to their increasing prices.

I applaud our Councilmember, Peter Vallone Jr., for his tireless advocacy in the fight against graffiti. Graffiti is a blight upon the property of our city and it violates the dignity and rights of others. It is not freedom of expression, as many claim it to be, but instead is degrading in every sense of the word. Art programs for adults and children should provide the necessary freedom of expression, not the defacement of neighborhood property.

Peter Vallone Jr. truly is a man of his convictions and a friend to all New Yorkers. Cynthia Groopman Long Island City