| A SAD FAREWELL.. Date: Febuary 23, 2006 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Time for Me to Ride Away in the Sunset I'm taking my purple bike and my kids (and their bikes) and moving to Texas. Why? I have become a third-wave Katrina refugee! I can't afford to live in Baton Rouge anymore and it makes me sick that I have to quit my good job and move away. I really did love it here. We're leaving on Ash Wednesday. I'm giving up Louisiana, not just for Lent, but for good. I saw the story this morning about rising utility bills, and am attaching a copy of my most recent bill for $1622.62. I live in a small second-floor, three-bedroom apartment. This is a culmination of several months of bills that have ranged $300-$600. If high gas prices blew up my budget and inspired me to ride a biciycle (over 1700 miles sinces I started in July,) you can just imagine what the Entergy bill has done. After receiving this latest bill, I also received a note from my landlord. My lease had come due for renewal and they jacked up my rent another $130 a month! They said it was an adjustment for fair-market value of my ghetto apartment. There were no apartments available at the old complex or any others nearby for me to down-size to until mid-March, so my three children are now living in a motel. Is it really fair that I should work so hard to feed my family, put a roof over our heads and keep the lights on, AND be expected to bear the cost of Entergy's repairs to New Orleans? Fair or not, it impossible for me to continue living this way. I'm going to miss you guys! Your station is great. I love the rapport you have with each other and the way that you really care about the community. I'm going to really miss the people I pass every day on my bike ride to work and to the store. Especially the sweet blue-haired crossing guart ad the corner by St Thomas Moore who waves to me every single day. She saw me on the news, she knows why I ride and her smile has been the most tremendous source of encouragement for me. And the Winn Dixie manager, Bob, who let me keep the carry basket to strap my groceries to the bike. And to the ladies at Sonny's BBQ who let me ride my bike up to the carry out window. Bye Bye Baton Rouge. It's a sad day for me. Tammy Busby The Bike Lady |
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