Is there anybody out there?

To the editor,

So after having our homes revalued, during a period when out-of-staters were paying far above asking prices, last year and raising our real estate taxes an average of 30 percent (some lower, some much higher) the city wants to raise our taxes another 6 percent this year.

The city council and school board and city manager must think we’re made of money. Gas prices are at record high levels. Food is at record high levels, when you can get what you’re looking for. Electricity bills have just about doubled.

Do our city politicians and appointees care? Nope.

They will send you a bunch of babble to explain away their excuses. They won’t even try to cut the budget or unneeded positions from the city. Why? They don’t care.

Now, they have basically said we are a racist city and our ordinances are probably all racist so they are spending yet more of our tax money on consultants to virtue signal their woke-ness. The only things they will accomplish are more bigotry and division and proving they are experts at wasting money that they do not care what we the people want or can afford.

During a time when we are all being forced to cut back on things, they are spending like they have an unlimited supply of money. Our money. These actions are irresponsible and expensive. They are out of control.

Kandi-Lee Hoy

South Portland

Insulted and appalled by city council

To the editor,

South Portland city councilor Jocelyn Leighton no longer represents the city she is supposed to serve.

In fact, councilor Leighton’s seemingly never-ending quest to attack dogs and dog owners put her hostility to thousands of SoPo residents on display in shocking remarks last week.

Her latest assault occurred more than two hours into the May 17 city council meeting where she proposed a new amendment to slash another hour of off-leash dog hours at Willard Beach. The proposed amendment would give off-leash dogs one hour in the dark from 8 to 9 p.m. for a grand total of three out of 24 hours off-leash per day. What a compromise.

Councilor Leighton somehow felt the urge to offer this amendment now – nearly a full year into dozens of city council and ad-hoc committee meetings where the issue seemed resolved. This city council seems to make its living from surprise late-night amendments. It was an ill-advised amendment last year to ban dogs from neighboring communities that started this whole mess.

But councilor Leighton did not stop there. She accused the thousands of dog owners in the city and the more than 1,100 members of SoPoDog of being white supremacists. That is appalling commentary about a broad swath of our community. No elected official should ever behave in such a derogatory manner toward members of the public they are supposed to serve.

It gets even better. Councilor Leighton also accused dog owners of bullying and intimidation for boycotting businesses. Guess what? That’s how a free market works. If you’re a business owner and you support an unpopular ordinance, prepare to lose business. Why should I support a business that does not want my family to use Willard Beach?

There are two open city council seats this year – one because a former councilor abused her position to bully and harass a trans woman of color customer of her business. Ironic, Jocelyn? I urge everyone insulted and appalled by the actions of this council to run.

Steve Silver

South Portland

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