To the editor:

Charles Levesque’s letter to the editor in the Oct. 17 edition of the Portsmouth Times regarding Mr. Gleason and Mr. Fitzmorris reminds me of the expression, “Let those without sin cast the first stone.”

Consider councilman Levesque’s alleged fealty to the people of Island Park, where he is presently a resident and has long-standing ties. On June 5, 2007, Mr. Levesque introduced S1066 and S1065 in the Rhode Island General Assembly. These two bills would allow the voters of Portsmouth to vote to incur $145,000,000 of indebtedness to put sewers in the northeast section of Portsmouth including Island Park. 

No notice of this effort was provided to the public, or the Waste Water Advisory Committee where I was a member, or the press. The Town Council voted to seek introduction of these bills in a public session when the public and press were absent. Certainly this is reminiscence in town of recent sub rosa events (pension and bond indebtedness changes). 

I have recently learned that at least in part this effort for sewers was also to make Island Park more amenable to development. Sewers meant more developable lots in Island Park that could be serviced by a municipal sewer system. It also meant higher taxes (land would be worth more) and the cost to maintained a sewer system would be borne by the Island Park residents and other nearby neighborhoods. It also would force people out of their homes because of higher costs. 

It is interesting and perverse that government action would push people out other homes in one of the more moderate-income sections of town. Disclosure: Mr. Levesque, in public in Town Council Chambers, has labeled me as a “reprobate.” He failed to mention I am a reprobate with a memory.

Philip Driscoll

Portsmouth