As a political activist, I put my name to a lot of petitions, letters to elected officials, and political surveys. One of the last came to me today from the Common Good VA PAC, and the invitation to “leave . . . feedback for Governor McAuliffe” proved irresistible. We believe in telling the truth as we know it, even when it may prove “inconvenient” to the listener. This one will likely fall into that category:
“Governor, as a citizen of Portsmouth, I am very disenchanted with the treatment we receive from the commonwealth. We appear to be the ‘red-headed’ stepchild of Virginia. The ERC contract continues to bleed our citizens, with the vaunted toll relief program being no more than a band aid on an arterial wound; the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge tax settlement facilitated by you and the Secretary of Transportation provides us ‘hush money’ and pennies on the dollar for forsaking our constitutional obligation to assess real estate at fair market value; and the recent port contract you and the SoT signed shelters from real estate and personal property taxation current and future assets of the Virginia International Gateway. Your party takes for granted the support of Portsmouth voters every election year, but when it comes to standing behind our efforts to be fiscally prudent and responsible, the commonwealth acts like a ‘deadbeat dad’. In 2017 before I consider giving my backing to any state level Democratic, Republican, or Independent candidate, I’m adopting an Eliza Doolittle philosophy: ‘Sing me no song, read me no rhyme / Don’t waste my time, show me’ how you are going make my city whole.”
A splendid and fitting reply to our fiscal overseers.
Portsmouth? Treated like a ‘red headed stepchild’? More like ‘beaten like a rented mule’ is the way I would put it. With its central location here in the Port of Hampton Road this town should be a crown jewel in the state. Instead of being treated like a place that has to be traveled through because it is there and can’t be moved, this town should be thought of as a central hub for the logistics of moving tons of freight from the entire continent to the rest of the world. We have much more potential than being just a wide spot in the road. Your actions, Governor, will just lead to making us a ward of the State. This citizen refuses to accept that.
I agree and with the tolls we pay we don’t have a chance. We need more funds from the State for our students and staff. It takes money to operate a city and school system. I agree with the above comments.
How amazing the powers that be know what is right for Portsmouth! Shame on you for putting us the taxpayers of Portsmouth flipping the bill on your decisions!