The “Our Opinion” article published in your Saturday March 22nd paper caught my attention: “Natural gas losses occurring in the city.” Picayune residents and elected officials have known for years about this problem.

I am aware that the current administration has made a concerted effort to identify those individuals/businesses who have been pilfering gas.

It seems from the article that the city has done everything possible to eliminate leakage. Our only course of action now is to replace old cast iron lines; which by the way I thought our city council had already approved.

I would like to take exception with the Picayune Item’s statement, “Obviously, this (loss of gas) is cause for concern for the city; it means essentially a loss of revenue.”

Aside from a safety issue, I don’t see this situation as the city’s lost revenue, it is the consumer who is paying the bill.

Picayune is obligated to pay for gas it purchases. That amount is charged to consumers.

I’m fully aware that gas prices were lowered 15% about 3 years ago. Even with that reduction our citizens are paying 70-85% more per cubic thousand feet of gas than residents in Olive Branch, Bay Springs and Pascagoula.

The city must make up for that lost gas by charging consumers more. The “lost revenue” is coming out of the pockets of citizens.

Earl J. Fox Jr.

Picayune