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Dear Editor,
Democrat Weingarten’s letter on Aug. 8 impugns Governor Holcomb for not supporting mail-in voting.
I believe most people paying attention to the fiasco in New York’s primary election counting mail-in ballots would agree with Governor Holcomb. Despite the COVID-19 virus, the country is clearly not equipped to handle millions of mail-in votes.
In 2012 the New York Times wrote; Headline “Error and Fraud at Issue as Absentee Voting Rises” “yet votes cast by mail are less likely to be counted, more likely to be compromised and more likely to be contested than those cast in a voting booth, statistics show. Election officials reject almost 2 percent of ballots cast by mail, double the rate for in-person voting.”
As for the current disaster in New York’s Primary The New York Post reports that a judge now “orders the state to count previously invalidated mail-in ballots.” That sets the stage for further lawsuits.
I say thank you to Governor Holcomb for not taking our state down that rat hole. As an at-risk person my solution is to take advantage of early voting where wait times are much less, and wear a mask! If you wait until Election Day, and it’s raining, take an umbrella! We’re grownups Mr. Weingarten, we can figure it out!
I also disagree with Mr. Weingarten’s position which I read keeps the schools closed. He accuses Governor Holcomb of “blackmail” for withholding 15 percent of state funds for schools that don’t open. Well if you’re not open you shouldn’t need 100 percent funding! Just utility savings alone would be significant.
Regardless, I believe the schools should be open! When did Americans become so timid? For those of us who have been to grocery stores, home improvement stores, big-box stores, malls, etc., health safety works reasonably well. Is there some risk? Of course! What things in life entail zero risk? If these stores can be open, schools and churches should be open!
Most alarmingly while we Americans dither over this decision I read that other developed country’s kids are already back to school! Make no mistake those kids are our kids competition for advanced education, training, and good jobs.
There is plenty of evidence that virtual schooling is not effective for too many children. Once again especially disadvantaged kids are being left behind. I suggest they will never make up this lost time! I say use reasonable health safety procedures, at-risk kids and teachers should stay home for now, but open the schools. Yes you are “essential workers!”
As I watch and read the news nationally and internationally, I believe comparatively Indiana leadership has been solidly effective during this pandemic. I appreciate the government both state and local, has been measured and avoided overreacting as we’ve seen in some states.
George Hodgson
Noblesville
George, I think you miss the point. Indiana handled the primary with 10x the normal absentee mail in ballots. Of course they can handle the volume, and, for the last 6 months we’ve been hunkered down so our “leaders” should have been planning on this eventuality. Holcomb is one of the worst wishy washy governors we’ve ever had, so it’s not surprising he did nothing. Also not surprising is that our county commissioners have done nothing to ensure voter safety. Clearly we need new leadership.