O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
I’ve felt the sharp edge of Alderman Joe Kelly Levasseur’s selective outrage firsthand. As someone personally targeted for daring to disagree, I’ve watched him weaponize power against critics while championing allies. That’s why Soup Ladee’s story cuts deep and why it should matter to everyone in Manchester who values fairness.
Here in Manchester, we know what community looks like. It looks like a bake sale for a family facing hard times. It looks like a kid’s lemonade stand on a hot summer day. It looks like a neighbor sharing extra vegetables from their garden. These small acts of connection are the heart of our city, the kind of grassroots generosity that should be celebrated, not regulated into oblivion.
But something has gone off the rails in our city, and it is time we called it what it is: a crisis of leadership that favors political theater over people.
We now face a situation where rules are not being applied fairly. They are being used as a weapon. Alderman Joe Kelly Levasseur helped shut down Ashley “Soup Ladee” Poulin for serving meals to unhoused neighbors, then became the loudest defender of a man sharing homemade pickles. The same health codes he insisted must strictly enforce stopping someone from feeding the hungry suddenly became government overreach when applied to someone with different political views.
Let us be clear. This is not about pickles or soup. It is about who gets help and who gets hammered in our city. It is about whether Manchester will be a place where rules apply equally to everyone, or whether we will accept a system where enforcement depends on who you know.
Soup Ladee was not running a business. She was serving people who needed food, our neighbors experiencing homelessness who often have nowhere else to turn. No cameras, no glory. Just compassion. Meanwhile, the same city official who treated her like a criminal now poses as a liberty loving hero. As Ashley herself said, “It is funny in an upsetting way seeing JKL champion this guy when he was the loudest one of the aldermen to knock me down.”
This hypocrisy does real damage. It tells volunteers they will be punished without the right connections. It creates a climate of fear where people think twice before helping neighbors. It distracts us from actual work like humanely addressing homelessness and food insecurity that have worsened in recent years.
Manchester is better than this. We are the city where people show up for each other. Where volunteers pack weekend meals for hungry children. Where community fridges appear so no one has to ask for help. Where organizations like the New Hampshire Food Bank work tirelessly. That is the Manchester I know, not the one being portrayed in political stunts.
We need leaders who reflect that spirit. Leaders who apply rules consistently, encourage compassion, and do not play favorites. We need to stop political games and focus on practical solutions that bring people together. It is time we replace Levasseur with someone who understands their job is to serve everyone, not just those who agree with them politically.
Soup Ladee put it perfectly: “I have already fought hard and lost the battle. If they get something done, great, I will reap the benefit.” She is not asking for applause. She is asking for fairness and consistency.
It is time we demand exactly that. No more double standards. No more divisive stunts that generate headlines but solve nothing. Just common sense, common decency, and a commitment to let Manchester be Manchester, a place where neighbors help neighbors without looking over their shoulder.
The next election is not just about choosing aldermen. It is about choosing what kind of city we want to be. Do we want Manchester where rules are weaponized for political gain, or where they are applied fairly to everyone? Do we want leaders who create division or those who build bridges?
It is time we remove toxic divisiveness and choose leaders who bring us together instead of tearing us apart. Leaders who see value in the proverbial soup and pickles, and who sees humanity in every person they are meant to serve.
On September 16th, please vote for June Trisciani and Chris Morgan for Aldermen at large.
Let us make our city a place where fairness rules and kindness never needs a permit.
Rosanna McMahon lives in Manchester, NH
Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Comment below using our DISQUS app. Got issues of your own? Send submissions to publisher@inklink.news, or DIY your submission here.