This is in response to John Shannon’s letter July 27. He suggested that his landlady had to sell because of the high cost of oil, and blamed it all on President George Bush.

As a landlady who has been in the business for 23 years, I believe it is foolish to blame the president for her decision to sell. Did Shannon even consider that his landlady is 80 years old and now wants someone to take care of her, not the other way around?

Another point is that landlords now must pay for trash removal. What was once free now costs a landlord $150 per unit a year. If she owns a three-unit building, that is $450 more than last year.

He indicated that her oil went up only $200; but water and sewer costs have risen more than 300 percent in the last 10 years. Have rents gone up 300 percent?

Taking all that into account – oil, trash, water and sewer, insurance and taxes – running an apartment building is very costly.

Real estate prices have risen, so I am sure she can get a lot of money for her building.

I don’t blame her one bit. At 80 years old, after having taken care of other people’s housing needs for more than 35 years, she deserves a break. I believe she should take the money and enjoy the rest of her life.

Tina Roberts, Auburn