Island and Oak Harbor politics are beginning to smell a lot like Obama politics in Washington, D.C.; spend what you don’t have on things that you don’t need and to hell with the people. Let them worry about the cost long after you’re gone.

To finance these wondrous projects, you want to raise utility rates and property taxes. In case you haven’t noticed, businesses are closing and people are losing their houses and jobs. I’m not so sure these increases aren’t to give raises to city workers and school teachers. There are probably a few thousand retired folks in this city and on the island who would love to get a raise in their pensions or Social Security this year, but it’s not going to happen. Couldn’t you at least wait for economic improvement before gouging the people for more money? Most of us are getting by with what we have; too bad you can’t learn to do the same.

Come next election, I will not vote for any of you because not one of you has the guts to stand up and say this taxing and spending is wrong and I won’t have any part of it. It’s time you people do the job you were elected to do or get the hell out and let someone else do it — someone who actually cares about the Island, Oak Harbor and the people.

Richard Ays

Oak Harbor