I’ve had it. I am sick and tired of every Tom, Dick and Harry trying to pry money out of my wallet to support whatever their special interest group wants.

The Windham Town Council meeting/workshop was the final straw that broke my camel’s back. I have to guess that the old-fashioned way of making money has disappeared, earning it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a snowmobile club, a lake association, the WEDC, the Windham Economic Development Officer or the town manager, it’s time all get less money or even better, no money. There are 45 million citizens of the United States on Social Security who have not received an increase of benefits and will receive less because Medicare B costs will soon rise.

I truly believe that one of the biggest mistakes ever made by government was allowing the formation of so many nonprofit organizations. I have no problem with someone forming a group to help someone in need. What I have a tremendous problem with is a group that wants my tax dollars to fund something that I don’t agree with.

The Windham Drifters is a perfect example. If they want to form a club and create trails and groom those trails, that’s fine with me. I don’t own a snowmobile, I never will and I’ll be darned if my taxes should pay someone else to do something that they enjoy. Snowmobiles, like cars, have to be registered and, of course, there is a fee that must be paid so why should we refund just fees for snowmobiles?

I can claim that I do the same economic benefit by having a car and spend my money in local businesses which should give me the benefit of receiving back all the money I paid in excise taxes on my vehicles. After all, I purchase gasoline, eat at local restaurants and shop at local stores. What really blew my mind is when that same club asked the Town of Windham to purchase their gasoline so it would be tax-free. Heck, I don’t drive my lawnmower on any road so I think that the town should also purchase the gasoline for my riding lawnmower so I don’t have to pay fuel taxes.

The town manager is requesting to hire a deputy director at the Windham Public Works Department, something that was discontinued last year. He is also requesting that the position of Code Enforcement Officer be filled. This means a property tax increase for those owning houses in Windham if the money isn’t taken from somewhere else.

The Director of Windham Parks and Recreation continues to spend money like someone who just won the lottery. His two vans sit in the town hall parking lot just like the two vans that he claimed rusted apart. Last I knew, those two vans were sitting at the Public Works area still rusting away. Now Parks and Recs is requesting a snowplow for their pickup truck. It’s time that Parks and Recs charges fees that make that department self-sustaining, and that includes the Skate Park. What we don’t need is each municipal department to duplicate tasks that another department does.

On Monday, Standard and Poor’s cut its outlook on U.S. government debt to negative because politics in Washington could cause a stalemate over reducing our national debt thus threatening our nation’s AAA credit rating. Gold and silver skyrocketed to new highs as investors want something solid to invest in. Will Windham continue spending money like it was grown on trees and ruin our credit rating?

Lane Hiltunen, of Windham, noticed someone stole his money tree.

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