I’m writing because I’d like to think that my family is a lot like many families in the Kitsap area. We are concerned with the rising costs of food, health care, and especially gas. It’s a difficult time right now and can be a struggle.

Then suddenly all these signs appear to promote the EMS levy. I have looked into it and found that it is time to renew this levy — it is good for six years and is up this year. I would like the levy to be renewed. After all, who is against emergency medical care?

But then I discovered the details, which to my disappointment, were not clearly stated on the ballot I just received. Not only do they want the levy renewed, they want an increase from the 2007 rate of $.30 per thousand to $.50 per thousand of assessed value. That comes to a 67 percent increase! So it seems the only choice given to us is not to renew the levy or approve this tremendous increase.

But, then again, there might be a third option. We could disapprove this large increase in taxes and, by doing so, tell the Poulsbo Fire Department (who received a 46 percent increase in the fire levy just last year) to go back to the drawing board and come up with a more reasonable offer. We cannot vote on the cost of gas or food, but we all get a chance to vote on this increase.

Kristen Rodriguez

Poulsbo, WA