I am a taxpayer here in Biddeford, and I am so sick of seeing the city’s 2016 Strategic Plan and its references to the city’s “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.”
If you read the plan, it all pertains to the downtown. And it’s been since 2012 that the Maine Energy Recovery Co. plant has been gone, and what have we had in return for our tax base? I do not see anything in those listings that will be bringing in revenue for the city. All we’ve had is failed promises and criticism of the people who see what’s going on.
Every city is going through the same things that we are, but they acknowledge the problems and don’t hide from them. I find it offensive that the strategic plan states that the “narrow vision of some people” and “impatience” are “threats” to Biddeford. Well, after four years, I think we have been very patient.
According to the strategic plan, the other “threats” to Biddeford are:
• “Nay-sayers controlling the message”: No truth tellers controlling the message.
• “Aging population”: It looks like you want us all to retire and go to Florida.
• “Drugs and crime perception”: Tell the media to stop showing us the crime and drugs here in our town.
• “Rapidly increasing housing costs”: Well, if you wouldn’t raise taxes, maybe some of these landlords could keep their costs down.
• “Aging infrastructure”: Take the old Renys building, which was given away and was supposed to be developed – and where did the money go for the asbestos removal?
You people may want to hide the fact that you can’t control the taxpayers’ money in a way that all of the people in Biddeford can gain from it, not just a few.
Barbara Corbeil
Biddeford
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