The residential tax exemption addresses the different statuses of people in our community and spreads the burden in a way that makes it possible for more people to live here and thrive.
Both affordable housing and our libraries are vital to the strength of our community. Each deserves to be considered on its merits through a transparent and impartial process.
I know of absolutely no citizen who does not want to see the residents of the United States put first by their own government. But it seems that in the utterly divided United States, “America First” means different things to different people.
Will we again be looking at the concept of separate “equals,” or will we stand with the idea that we are all equal, that walking down the street with my neighbor, I will be able to look him in the eye and say we are the same whether he lives here all of the time or only some of the time?
While no two eras are identical, historians and political scientists have noted striking parallels between the MAGA movement and the rise of right-wing populism in pre-war Germany.
It’s a horrible idea. It’s undemocratic, unsound, and bound to have repercussions to which the strident voices pushing the tax increase are blind, perhaps purposely because it is to their benefit.
I’m not writing this out of anger alone, but out of concern and exhaustion. Families like mine are doing everything we can to stay, work, and contribute to this community. But we cannot do it without support.
