Bravo to Bette Chaplin for her remarks (“Appalled Watching Council”, AJ Opinion, 8/24).
As a proud Westbrook homeowner, I am equally appalled at the frivolous leadership of some city councilors who must have received their training from the Robin Hood School of Civil Servants. They’re good at working people but clearly not good at working with budgets, and clearly speak with forked tongues when both come into conflict.
But Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Here our councilors prefer to steal what is earmarked as property tax relief for Westbrook homeowners rather than stand up to their friends and city agencies that are spending out of control. And the approval for more spending goes on and on (food pantry, skateboard park, capital improvement bond, etc).
The Food Pantry and a new Skateboard Park are noble causes indeed, but should be funded through free-enterprise non-government sources (private and corporate donors, non-profits, volunteer fundraising). If young people really want a Skateboard Park, organize them and assist them with fundraising and marketing and let them run it as their own business. It’ll ultimately be more successful than stealing the money from homeowners (the adage “Give the hungry man a handout or teach him to fish” comes to mind).
Ms. Chaplin is correct: “the time has come for us to wake up and see the light!” Our little city has the HIGHEST tax rate around, even without the ocean view, the Old Port, excess government services and PC-handouts that Portland is known for. Are Ms. Chaplin and I the only two people who see the obvious red flag that indicates some City Council members are no longer able to do the job they were voted to do?
It’s really just a matter of time before Westbrook taxpayers get fed up and start overturning the gold-lined teacups of some of our councilors who don’t take us seriously. Come next election, I predict these robbin’ hoods (oops, sorry, Robin Hoods) will go the way of Governor Baldacci…downstream without a paddle. Then perhaps true tax reform can become a reality. If not, a true tax revolution is in order!
Louis Philippe
Westbrook
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