Portsmouth politics, Israel and ranked choice voting: Letters

I have witnessed Mayor McEachern's leadership and dedication firsthand

Oct. 17 − To the Editor:

I am writing this letter in enthusiastic support of our mayor, Deaglan McEachern's candidacy for Portsmouth City Council. As a longtime resident and worker in our beautiful city, I have had the privilege of witnessing Deaglan's leadership and dedication to our community firsthand.

One of the qualities that impresses me most about Deaglan is his unwavering commitment to the people of Portsmouth. He is a true advocate for our city, always willing to take the time to listen to the concerns and ideas of community members like myself. Deaglan understands that the strength of our community lies in its people, and he consistently works to ensure that our voices are heard and our needs are met.

One of the most pressing issues facing Portsmouth today is the need for workforce housing. Deaglan has led on addressing this critical issue. He understands that economic diversity is part of the fabric of our city and is committed to assuring that we make progress in this fight. His commitment is not only a testament to his vision for our community but also a reflection of his deep empathy for those who call Portsmouth home.

Deaglan McEachern has proven time and again that he is a leader who can get things done. He has a track record of bringing people together to find common-sense solutions to our city's challenges, and I have no doubt that he will continue to fight for us. Deaglan dedicates himself to the people of Portsmouth, let’s support him at the ballot box on November 7th.

Todd Sweet

Portsmouth

Overdevelopment and spending more important than low-rent housing

Oct. 16 − To the Editor:

I just finished reading City Council candidates speak out, in the Oct. 16 edition of the Portsmouth Herald.  The big issue addressed was the lack of affordable housing in Portsmouth, my question addresses the fact that we have adequately addressed this issue many times and each time we have done something but enough is enough.

We have many low rent, senior housing and other type housing projects throughout Portsmouth. What is really creating this problem, hundreds of people wanting to live here but cannot afford the cost, and so many businesses opened up that pay low wages, and took our sidewalks for their business of which, again, pay low wages, and the biggest problem of all, city councils listening to some city employees who inflate our budget every year and our councils accept and endorse these budgets 9 to nothing. Just ask these councilors why we now have many million dollar homes and businesses who should have large tax assessments that would help reduce our tax costs, that would reduce what landlords have to charge for rents. How about approaching our local communities to having low rent communities in their towns, even some Maine towns that border our city.

Two other topics mentioned in the article were spending and over development. These issues are really more important than low-rent housing because they affect the present residents and taxpayers, some of whom have lived here most of their lives, who struggle to pay their property taxes because of city councils that increase the city budget, without concern to the taxpayer, year after year. Over development puts a burden on the taxpayer due to the cost of the infrastructure, wastewater, drinking water, and storm water plant, roads and streets, need for more employees.

The Portsmouth City Councilors should be concerned with the owners, residents and taxpayers of Portsmouth and not for the people who want to live here as the council and other factors contributes to the problem of constant increasing costs to live here.

Bill St. Laurent

Portsmouth

The saddest fact of all for those who support Israel and peace

Oct. 13 -- To the Editor:

In a popular children’s story the elephant ruled the jungle, and was a very bad ruler. So bad that all the animals were afraid of him. Not even the lion would stand up to him. The ant said “I’ll take care of the situation.” OK, said the others, you be our champion. And while the elephant was sleeping the ant crawled up his trunk into his brain, and began tickling various spots, driving him bonkers. “Come out of my brain” said the elephant, “and I’ll be a good ruler.” And he did.

Now imagine if instead the ant had bitten the elephant in the toe, the elephant stomped on the anthill, 10 ants bit him 10 times and he stomped 10 times, 100 ants and so forth. Each cycle, the elephant became a worse and worse ruler, stomping the ant colony to smithereens, to no avail.

Now imagine that the Palestinians blew a breach in the Gaza border wall, and instead of 1500 heavily armed motorcyclists intent on murder and mayhem, 1500 unarmed women and children walked to the town of Sderot and sat down in the park alongside Ben Gurion’s tomb. And 1500 unarmed women and children walked from East Jerusalem to West Jerusalem and sat down in the plaza in front of Yad Vashem. In the West Bank unarmed women and children walked to the settlement of Ariel and sat down in the road blocking all entry and egress. And all over Israel unarmed women and children marched peacefully to the downtown squares of all the towns and cities and sat down demanding their full civil rights.

We have seen here in America peaceful marchers in New York and Chicago, chanting “Justice for Palestinians.” I would say to those supporters: Go to your friends and relatives in Gaza. Tell them to release the hostages without condition, denounce the ringleaders of the recent attacks on Israeli citizens, throw down your weapons, all of them, and adopt the tactics of Ghandi and Martin Luther King. Choose Rumi and Khalil Gibran, reject Osama and Khomeini. That’s the path to justice for Palestinians. The path they are on, violent resistance going back to Arafat and long before him, only leads to destruction.

Unhappily, though, this recent incursion was so horrific that it may be too late for that. We know what’s going to happen. It’s already begun. For those of us who are supporters of Israel AND peace, that’s the saddest fact of all.

Jeffrey Cooper

Portsmouth

Ranked choice voting is a better system of voting

Oct. 9 − To the Editor:

We know our government is a representative democracy, meaning citizens elect government officials who, then represent the citizens’ ideas and concerns. To make this happen as designed, citizens need to exercise their responsibility to vote. Voting is important, in fact it is everything in a democracy.

Pew reports ranked USA 31st in the world for voter participation. Most states elect state and federal officials with a plurality of votes (winners are not required to have a majority of votes). These two factors, low voter turnout and low percentage winners, are at play when the election outcomes do not represent the most number of citizens. For example; In 2020 presidential election, about 65% of eligible citizens voted (35% chose to have no voice). Rep. Matt Gaetz won his seat, out of a field of 7 candidates, with only 36% of the vote, 64% chose other candidates. Rep. Andy Biggs, Chair of the House Freedom Caucus, won his seat out of a field of 4 candidates, with only 29% of the vote and over 70% who chose other candidates. Clearly, the greatest voter support is not being represented in these elections.

Ranked Choice Voting can fix that! RCV amplifies voters' preferences by building in a run-off election on each ballot. Voters rank their choices for who they want first, who they choose second and so on. Winners are required to have 50%+ of the voters' support. A winner is chosen by a process of eliminating the lowest vote getter, and redistributing those ballot’s second choice to the remaining candidates (and so on). With RCV there is no such thing as spoiler candidates or split voting, voters can truly vote their conscience.

We are fortunate that NH is working on bringing ranked choice voting to our state. We need the legislators to pass HB 345 this Fall. If you believe voters need more choice, more voice and more incentive to vote, contact your representative and tell them to support HB 345. Note that this bill does not establish RCV anywhere, but will enable cities, towns and parties to OPT-IN to use it in their local elections if they choose. Find your representative at https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us Let’s keep our focus on representation.

Cheri Bach

Portsmouth

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth NH politics, Israel and ranked choice voting: Letters