Letter to the Bluffs

Dear citizens of the Bluffs,

I am writing on behalf of your fellow community members from the Bottoms of East St. Louis to inform you that your help and concern are greatly needed. The Bottoms are experiencing many problems and they do not have the necessary resources to deal with themselves. They cannot deal with these problems because of the poverty and a city debt of more than $40 million.

There are many problems that are affecting the Bottoms of East St. Louis. The most important among these are the living conditions of the city. The sewer system of the city is in bad shape and it has been deemed irreparable by local experts. The local chemical plants have released toxins into the sewers for many years and this is a serious problem. The sewers have backed up many times causing flooding to the area. For example, the sewer system has flooded at a public housing project called Villa Griffin. The sewage overflowed into the playground by Villa Griffin causing health problems to the children of the housing project. At one point, the pool of sewage totaled two million gallons.

It has been found that the children of East St. Louis are some of the sickest in America. This is attributed to the sewage problems, the polluted air from the chemical plants, high lead levels in the soil, dental problems, and inadequate health care including under immunization. The children also have very poor nutrition and they only spend an average of $2.40 on food each day.

Another major problem is the poor education of the children of East St. Louis. Teachers are constantly being let go because the city cannot afford to pay their salaries. This causes serious hindrances in the children’s learning. Some classes the children have do not even have teachers. Also, the city cannot afford the proper resources for a good learning environment. Classes do not have the necessary textbooks and teaching materials for the courses.

Though the situation with the Bottoms of East St. Louis may seem irreparable, your help is needed in the form of taxes. The only way the Bottoms will get better is with more money to fix the living conditions and give schools the proper resources. Please help give the children of the Bottoms a brighter future and a chance to turn around the city and set it on a road to success. Your help would be greatly appreciated.