A few weeks ago, customers of the city of Gainesville utilities department received notice that rates would be increasing. This was to "encourage" us to use less water.

As good citizens, the community as a whole had already been conserving water, ensuring that we met the state mandated cutback in water use. We were rewarded with a rate increase. My bill for minimum usage increased 50 percent.

The Times reported on Dec. 4 that water use has dropped and that the utilities department might stand to lose revenue. Wasn’t that the point? To have usage drop?

You can read into that that an even larger rate increase might be in order because we did such a good job. Hmm.

There used to be a saying when I was in the Army, which I will clean up here: "If you can’t take advantage of your friends, who can you take advantage of?"

Can we expect a reduction in rates when the lake fills up next spring or will it be like the price of oil? It never goes down.

Dave Casper

Oakwood

It seems like everywhere you turn today there is violence, and nobody seems to have the answer. It is more like people who make it a habit of committing crimes aren’t looking for answers.

It is a known fact that one will get caught sooner or later if one continues to commit crimes. It is only a matter of time. Some manage to get by for a long time, and when they do get caught, they may be able to get out of it for the time being. But with that same mindset, it is only a matter of time before something too big to handle traps one. It is not meant for a person to go free after committing crime if they make it a habit of abusing or willfully mistreating others.

A person may be fortunate enough to have money to hire a good or smart lawyer and win the case, but if it is not to be, one will slip and make a mistake that will bring him or her to justice. I urge young people to pay close attention because there is a lot to be learned that will help them in the long run. Anything that older people can do to help younger people not be trapped by the evil forces of the world will be a big plus for mankind.

It hurts my heart to see young people get mixed up in something that can affect them for the rest of their lives. I never will forget my father telling me what many fathers ought to be telling their sons today. It has been more than 60 years ago, but I haven’t forgotten. He made me a promise and I thank God he didn’t have to carry it out. Me being 15 or 16 years old at the time meant nothing to my father because I was still his son and I wasn’t grown. My father remembered what it says in Proverbs 13:24.

If the young people could understand who really loves and cares for them, things would be much better. I know some parents don’t love their children as they should; neither do some children love and obey their parents as they should. It works both ways. If one wants to be loved, one must show love toward another in the proper prospective.

Most people have some fault, one way or another, but that is not supposed to stop a person from trying to do the best one can. Some people discourage others by saying that being or doing good is not going to get you into heaven. It may not, but to say that you have accepted someone and actions and deeds don’t prove it may not get you there, either. I like to think that good produces good. We know that corruption produces corruption.

I think, sometimes, that people envy those who show love and affection for their fellow man in a Christlike way. Of course, we know that the enemy is busy trying to turn Christians against each other. We must be careful and do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Jesse D. Jenkins

Gainesville