Your Voice: Nashua's shackled serfs

To the Editor:

Although this letter is my personal reflection of a once thriving community, it could reflect "many" other New Hampshire towns.

Tax paying citizens of Nashua:

I have no idea how anyone there could not be affected by the poor performance of those governing your city.
I grew up there. That was a time when doors were left unlocked, bicycles didn't need padlocks. The Burke St. "Projects" were just down the street.
People there were poor, period. There was no animosity, either way.
A large field directly across from my "home," was converted to an "Elderly Citizen Only" apartment complex. It was named "Vaggee Village," named after the then mayor. Our neighborhood was "promised" only elderly Nashua citizens would be allowed. I remember one gentleman living there, who my father let come over and tend a small garden. That man was beyond thrilled.
After high school, I enlisted. Ten years later, both my parents passed away.
I could have "easily" sold it many times over. For many years, this property was rented to people who kept the outside appearance, as well as the interior in excellent condition. I had many offers to purchase my house and land, in this stable and desirable section of town. Selling my "home" was not an option to me. Remember, my dream was to return to the home my father built.
Over the years, the quality of life and safety concerns, for myself and that of my family were paramount in making the difficult decision, to permanently leave the city and the neighborhood I loved.
The promise of elderly only apartments across the street soon dissolved.
Well, that complex became a "Third World Cabal"! One day, I watched as "every" apartment there had a brand new "MAJOR" appliance in front of the door waiting to be installed. The city certainly doesn't want to show favoritism to one over the other! Could a private landlord make the same major commitment? I doubt it.
I have many friends who have lived in various parts of town, who now realize the devastation the "City Management" brought upon their neighborhoods.
The city's landscape, and "Neighborhood Pride" has been changed forever under the guise of "Social Engineering"!
Somehow the city has found ways through Assessment Schemes, devalued once "exquisite" properties by as much as 30 percent. Yet, simultaneously, the city had no problem raising their taxes on the devalued property.
Why, You ask?
The goal here is to continue to raise taxes to fund ever expanding city public sector jobs. This was the result of holding property owners hostage as a revenue source, while insuring these properties will not sell. Hence, you have serfs who cannot leave their land. Thus, the beginning traits of early feudalism.
Like all government potentates, the mayor will tell you how she "cares" about the people. She cares about herself, and her continued re-election, and that is done through ensuring spoils to followers like Tammany Hall of old.
Some things never change, this is how one ensures the "thiefdom" continues.
This is Nashua's answer to "inequality".
Just like a communist country, everyone becomes poor.
I am truly sorry for the city's sad circumstances. The Berlin Wall, in Germany, was constructed by East Germany to prevent the mass exodus of its citizens to freedom.
So too, Nashua is doing this through its social engineering.  Meanwhile, property owning serfs are shackled, unable to flee themselves, due to high taxes and low property value.
Nashua is unrecognizable from the days when it was one of the top places in the nation to live.

- Lou Archambault, SMSgt, USAF Ret.
Nashua High School Class, 1966
Rochester, NH