I attended the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council community meeting at the J.E. Howard Recreation Center this past Tuesday and although the discussion was heated, I felt a chill in the air, almost to the point of shivering. I had a long sleeve top on and the temperature had reached a sweltering 105 degrees so I thought maybe I wasn't used to air conditioning.

On my way out I noticed that the thermostat was set at 68 degrees, which is what I set my thermostat on when I am home. Then I realized I don't have central air in my house and the minimum temperature recommended for air conditioning is 78 degrees.

So on a day when BGE is urging customers to conserve energy use, so as not to strain the power grid, Baltimore City is wasting energy resources as well as taxpayers money. I thought it might be a fluke, so I went back the next day only to see the thermostat set at 67 degrees on another record breaking day of 101 degree temperature.

It boggles my mind that people who are responsible for our taxpayer dollars could be so irresponsible, let alone being reckless in being a good steward of the environment.

If this is typical I cannot fathom how much money might be saved by installing programmable thermostats in all public buildings at the recommended setting and adjusting accordingly at night and weekends, but if the city would pay me just 20 per cent of the first year's savings, I could no doubt retire at a decent age.

Michael Baseman, Baltimore