Two residents recently submitted letters to Ocala-News.com to discuss the impact of rising costs on senior citizens in Ocala/Marion County. In response to those letters, three more residents from Ocala wrote in to share their thoughts and concerns on this topic.
“The rising cost of utility bills for seniors is getting out of hand because they can’t afford to pay the high electric bills or water bills that they are receiving, along with the high cost of groceries, gas, and everyday expenses for them. I do know some seniors that have to turn off their air conditioning, cut back on turning on lights in the evenings, and cut back on using water for laundry and showering, and this is not acceptable for senior citizens. The senior citizens in our area are going without because of the high cost of living,” says Ocala resident Vicki Briggs.
“I completely agree with the recent letters. My wife and l are a middle class retired couple.Be it thru a lack of financial training, or just having to always live paycheck to paycheck, we retired (due to age and health) to whatever lifetime we have left, depending solely on our retirement checks. With the advent of Covid, and resulting crazy inflation and good costs, we find ourselves short on cash every month to the extent of having to have family members pay our bills once in awhile. I don’t know if it would completely solve all of the problems, but I don’t understand why the government in the State of Florida won’t consider eliminating taxes on residential properties (owned free and clear) by retirees. I know that there is a homestead deductible, but what’s a few dollars compared to the (rising) values of homes. Downsize? That won’t work as the new house, apartment, or manufactured home values have shot up. It would also help greatly if seniors had an EBT-type card with a discount of, say, 50% of food costs at food stores. We are slowly drowning in debt with no hope of rescue as we have no means of earning any extra income due to a mixture of age, health, and the ability to earn an income,” says William Lee, Ocala resident.
“The recent posting of seniors hit the nail on the head. Social Security does not cover increases in Ocala Electric Utility bills, food prices, cable expenses, and medical bills including pharmacy prescriptions. With all of this being said in Ocala, why hasn’t our mayor at least acknowledged that something has to be done? I do not not see any help coming to seniors who are on a fixed income. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,” says Ocala resident Basil Kaspar.