I am writing in response to the Feb. 14 letter to the editor from Christine Hoffman, CEO of the Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce and Hank Myers, Redmond City Councilmember.

Their letters were in response to my letter on Feb. 7 which asked the question: Why did our property and utility taxes go up and the business head tax stay flat. Neither one answered the question.

Instead, Ms. Hoffman wrote about how wonderful Mayor John Marchione is and about the long suffering businesses in Redmond. This broken record mantra from Ms. Hoffman always fails to point out that Redmond has over 80,000 jobs versus 50,000 residents and has one of the strongest local economies on the planet. If a business can’t make it here then they are in the wrong business or the wrong place.

She also fails to note that Redmond’s businesses pay less than half of the equivalent tax in Bellevue. We are all hurting and we all need to pay our fair share.

Councilmember Myers also fails to answer the question but instead touts the change in budgeting process as transparency. Really! For years the business community and the mayor want-to-bes on the city council were extremely critical of former Mayor Rosemarie Ives — demonizing and vilifying her at every turn.

So what did the newly elected change agents and councilmember lifers do for their first budget? They issued a business head tax break. It is important to note that Councilmembers Richard Cole and Pat Vache are very active members of the Redmond Chamber, currently serving on their Board of Directors and the Board Executive Committee, respectively.

Also, Mayor Marchione received personal campaign contributions from Ms. Hoffman as well as contributions from many Redmond Chamber members.

Cole, Vache and Marchione should have recused themselves from that part of the budget vote, due to a clear conflict of interest. Change and transparency, Mr. Myers? I don’t think so.

The residents of Redmond should be outraged. The utility taxes are the most regressive of all the taxes – by increasing these taxes you hit the most vulnerable the hardest.

Redmond residents need to get involved unless you want your city run by a very well represented business community.

Jim Robinson, Redmond