About the raises some say Hilton Head Island's Town Council deserves, it certainly brings back memories of other government bodies also voting on their raises.

What is going on here? Don't the people -- the voters -- have a say in all this? The rest of us are struggling just to maintain our lives. The economy is not good or haven't council members noticed? Now I do believe they deserve a raise, but the national average is only around 2.2 percent, so what is going on here? We certainly did not receive a big raise in our Social Security. It is time to go back to the drawing board and propose a more reasonable amount.

Carol and Rick Vivona

Hilton Head Island.