What would you prefer to do, throw your wallet off of a cliff or jump off Frye’s Leap? If you are from Windham, you just might have to do both.

I cannot remember a time in my life where Americans have faced such financial doom and gloom as they are facing in the next 39 or so days. People as well as businesses are facing significant tax increases if Congress and the President allow the so-called Bush tax cuts to expire as well as huge cuts in federal spending on everything from education to our military and the defense industries like Bath Iron Works and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

The increases in taxes and cuts in federal spending will have a huge effect on state and local spending in Maine, which means possible hikes in state and local taxes. Part of the cuts also includes cutting unemployment checks from 99 weeks to 26 weeks. Do you know what that means? That will have a drastic impact on social services budgets all across Maine. Since federal aid could be cut to state and local school budgets, you can bet school districts and unions will perform an even greater shakedown on our wallets. But what you can bet on is that the President and the members of Congress (please remember that’s the definition of a troop of baboons) will not receive a pay cut. What’s worse, I must mention ObamaCare (once known as the Affordable Health Care Act) will soon be the single, largest tax increase in America’s history.

Now let’s look about Windham and its town council. The attempt by the council and manager to install a sewer system in North Windham was the first attempt to expand Windham’s business district at taxpayers’ expense, but don’t be fooled, it’s not going to be the last and the very first council meeting after the election proves it. First, let me be clear because my column is my opinion, and only my opinion. After that meeting, it is my opinion that Windham has two councilors looking out for all taxpayers and that’s Councilors Gleason and Welch. As the discussion progressed to appoint the various council positions such as chairperson and others, it was obvious that Councilors Noel, Call and Hayman had an agenda for one reason or another.

What I see in Windham is a bunch of friends appointing friends to various committees, which, in the end, is exactly what all politicians do when they are in power. Having stated that, when elected officials forget their duties and support the pecuniary interests of others, citizens must step up to plate to cease such actions.

Even though the North Windham sewer project was defeated by a three-to-one vote, some councilors have already stated that the sewer is necessary and want to bring some kind of sewer proposal back to the drawing board again. I think it is high time to connect the dots to who wants the sewer installed and who exactly would have the highest financial gains if it was installed, and the relationship between all parties should be made public.

I cannot put it any plainer than this. The leadership in the town of Windham is very troublesome as far as I am concerned. There are too many bad examples of things that have run amok that I could write a book about it. Windham has become a town with high property taxes despite ever-decreasing services. We can’t even complete a BMX bike park and yet some dream of a multi-million dollar park at Chaffin Pond. We have no transfer station, bulky waste program or state-approved comprehensive master plan. We spent $2 million on a sewer to nowhere in South Windham for 85 condos that will never materialize. When it comes to lawsuits, let me just leave it to the fact I mentioned it. And do you really think Windham will ever create a substantial impact fee on the ever-increasing development that is swamping public services without providing adequate financial support for those services?

Lane Hiltunen, of Windham, wants to thank voters across America for fast-forwarding the next American revolution.