Letter to the Editor:

Dear Editor,

I hope the Community Common will come to life on the concerns of our area, like they did when they first came into existence. Community Government and affairs was headlines. The people of the community got behind the strikers and the new newspaper. They where bringing out fresh news and hard facts concerning our community. The newspaper united the strikers, became a newspaper you could feel was for the well being of the community. I hope you realize that we need you to unite back with the Portsmouth Times.

Together expose what is happening in the very leadership structure and direction of our community

I have lived in Portsmouth, for many years, I have seen this city turn into a disappearing town. When you look up our area zip code 45662 on the computer, it will list it as New Boston, Ohio. Most of our successful businesses have seen the light and moved their operations in that direction. Portsmouth is a city in a war, and has been for a long time. The City council people have always thought they were the rulers of our city.

It will take more than a recall to get them to change their mind. The troubles in Portsmouth started with a newspaper strike. The real news people split up and started a new direction of reform. It was spelled out that the manager of the city were just a stooge for "the Big four on the city council." Somehow the city Big Four and the manager just seemed to become hostile to every new business that wanted to get anchored into Portsmouth. I could write a book on the slowness of our city fading away. I fought hard to get a Mayor form of Government passed in this city hoping to turn things around. The city Manager wanted to get me arrested for being a nuisance to the community. My big sorrow was after getting a Mayor form of Government passed and a Mayor elected, he found the same trouble that the present Mayor is having. The city council is going to rule, the big four is still there, and they just changed their names. All of us can say sorry to the New Mayor, she cannot win, she has no power unless they (the Big Four) give it to her. To my sorrow her only hope is surrender, let them know they rule or find a way to resign. I wish there were a way we could have a community revival and get the citizens that remain in the community fired up, overflowing the city council meetings and letting them know the real citizens want a direction that will build up our community. I know that will never happen, most of our citizens have given up, less and less people even bother to vote. They, like I, know the Big four iare going to rule. They say this is going to be a college town and nothing more. Today one of their plans is to take down all the traffic lights and zoom people through our town leaving most of us hoping that we don't get hit or ran over. Their first impression is if you don't live in Portsmouth, don't stop, keep going. I wish there were a way to get both newspapers united and expose the big four and the ones that are rubbing their pocket book. Maybe with a lot of real knowledge we could get what's left of the citizens worked up and motivated and put up a fight before we find there will be no hope to defeat these Big four on the council. I wonder what we would find if we really investigated them. Maybe there will be someone strong enough to go back to the drawing board, reword a new resolution to establish a real strong Mayor form of government, to have one leader of our community and allow the council to be the guiding lights for the mayor. I think we have little hopes of that to happen. After all we would then have someone to point our fingers at for all the troubles we are having. Who would want that?

Eugene Collins

Portsmouth Ohio 45662