It appears the city is happier when it is operating in the darkness of secret back-room meetings and meeting in groups of three to avoid sunshine laws while they stab taxpayers in the back with another unfounded property tax increase without taxpayers having as much as a vote.
Is a questioning attitude a negative attitude as to why taxes, water, sewage and garbage fees are increased? Especially when the person who has to pay these increases doesn't have a say or is ignored while his income automatically is being garnished?
Does questioning how hard-earned tax money is wasted considered negativism? When many people are struggling with higher gas and food prices, and Mayor Jim Kalb gets a hefty raise for himself, along with the auditor and solicitor, is this negativism? When you have past and present council members who have sat in the same city building as long as 16 years - and Kalb himself for 14 years - and have let the present city building deteriorate to its present point considered negativism?
Is it when homeowners complain about raw sewage invading their basements because of the city's lack of planning considered negativism?
At one of the worst times for the American economy, they want to build a $12 million Kalb-Mahal - or whatever name they want to disguise it as - at homeowners' expense. Now, this is negativism.
When voters got the chance to vote on the Marting's renovation - which meant another tax increase - 2,426 voters said no. Apparently, Kalb thought this was negativism, because he continues to more forward with his plan.
I hope these voters remember this when it comes time for Kalb's re-election. As Kalb said, citizens are weary, but it's because of the deteriorated conditions of the city - no jobs, drugs, prostitution and just plain old neglect.
I guess if you refuse to be taxed to build and maintain three separate city offices scattered around town from now until eternity just to house the king of Portsmouth, I guess you will be considered negative by Kalb.
Don't allow them another garnishment vote against their so-called positive idea to gamble with your hard-earned money to try to revise a $2-million dead horse.
Harald Daub
Portsmouth
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