The Portsmouth Pulse is all about you and Portsmouth, your community!
The Portsmouth Pulse is born from a desire to provide a greater balance to covering what’s going on in Portsmouth and its immediate surroundings. We hear time and again that there is much that is going on in Portsmouth that just isn’t covered by the local press. While this may be for many reasons, the fact remains that the residents of Portsmouth are hungry to know what’s going on with their city. Just a quick sample:
- Why is Prescott Park getting so much funding?
- What on earth is causing sewage effluent to be pumped into South Pond again and again?
- Why is the McIntyre project stymied still, even after the City has paid the developer lots of money?
- And so on …
Portsmouth is a happening place. It’s social scene is active. In addition, there are so many unanswered questions and fuzzy, one-sided articles in the local paper that don’t provide answers to City actions. The need for the Pulse seems to grow every day.
Portsmouth is a beautiful place. Residents are rightfully proud of its architecture, its history and its values. We are also aware that many fear these qualities are at risk as the City grows, expands and is developed. Are we destined to be “a little Boston?” Are we on track to become like Portland?
We think residents want their own identity. We hear a nostalgia for an accessible City whose leadership exhibited perhaps more common sense. Whose leaders were more responsive to the needs of the taxpayers rather than City management. The persistent dichotomy between the interests of developers and citizens is an ongoing tension. How big should the City be? And how big should City management and City budgets be? The City Council seems to spend freely, believing the residents are all wealthy. But the money they spend is truly not their money. It is the taxpayers. And while taxpayers are generous, they want to spend their money carefully.
We are cheerleaders for Portsmouth. We are also advocates for more than the City of the Open Doors. That’s a nice concept, but beneath that must be a city of open discourse, open finances and full disclosure. Portsmouth is not for sale. Nor is it the City of the Open Checkbook. It is priceless and because it is, its citizenry deserves more. We strive to answer that need.
