Dem Steve Shurtleff (pot) calls (kettle) GOP's John Stephen (black)

This morning's Concord Monitor has an oped by former Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand and at-large Concord City Councilor/State Rep. Steve Shurtleff, both Democrats, attacking Republican gubernatorial candidate John Stephen, saying he will raise property taxes: ["Stephen will raise your property taxes"].
But, ahem, guess what? Shurtleff has already raised taxes!
No disrespect to you Steve but while we don't know what Stephen will actually do if elected, we do know what you've done. Shurtleff, and other councilors including our mayor, raised property taxes in Concord this year instead of making necessary and overdue cuts and rightsizing line items in the city budget. Instead of living without for a bit longer, they raised property taxes. Instead of sacrificing like every taxpayer and renter in Concord now has to do (or working harder and longer to make up the difference, even if it is a "small" amount), they took the easy way out. Why is it that while all of us have to live with less, government never has to live with less? Why is it that all of us who work in the private sector have to work longer and harder often for less, government never does? Marchand and Shurtleff can complain all they want about Stephen but he hasn't chance to do what Shurtleff has already done.
While on this little tear, let me continue a bit.
Unfortunately, the Democrats who swept into power in 2006, on the wake of voter anger due to wasted government spending on wars, privacy concerns and fiscal mismanagement, have done nothing in four years to fix any of the problems.
On the state level, Democrats increased spending by what, 17 percent in two years? They passed a ridiculous LLC tax that will hit small businesses who are barely getting by as it is (like my wife, for example). The Democrats have squandered four years to be fiscally prudent and now, we're on the verge of a "needing" a broad-base tax in New Hampshire.
On the federal level, the Democrats have joined many Republicans in making problems worse. They've kept us in these fraudulent wars, increased spending and debt, bailed out the banks, refused to cut the military budget, etc. They've sent our children more in debt and only created more government jobs, with expensive pensions we'll never be able to fund and benefits that few private sector employees have. The entire mess is a disgrace.
In no way should my comments be seen as a vote for John Stephen though.
I covered the guy as a radio reporter when he was at HHS. A bit of a lightweight, in my view, and he has not had a lot of non-government work, for all his complaining about the government. In addition, Gov. John Lynch has not done a bad job as governor considering what he has had to deal with. But clearly many people in positions of power simply don't get it.