Voting machines need updating ASAP
Georgia’s voting machines are perilously out-of-date, and provide no paper trail. Georgia is one of only five states that still use electronic voting machines with no paper trail. The AJC’s report “Security lapses end elections, KSU partnership” states that the plan for managing voting machines after “firing” the KSU election operations center is to bring operations in-house in the Secretary of state’s office.
Does this make sense? Spending many tens of thousands (or more) to train staff and figure out band-aids to support this out-of-date, insecure, equipment and software. Why not take this opportunity to switch to optical scanners and paper verifiable ballots, at a fraction of the cost of trying to maintain the old, easily hacked, machines?
It is a matter of a short time before these machines must be replaced – experts say we are way overdue. Why not seize this opportunity to save money and deliver a reliable, verifiable voting system?
BETSY SHACKELFORD, DECATUR
Electric industry must be deregulated
Georgia ranks sixth from the top in the nation in terms of expensiveness of home energy costs (No. 1 in the Southeast) with electricity comprising approximately half of the cost. Close behind Georgia, at No. 8, is Mississippi.
What do these two states have in common? Electric monopolies owned by The Southern Co. (i.e., Georgia Power and Mississippi Power). And, a debacle that would cause an ordinary for-profit company to file either a Chapter 11 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy (Plant Vogtle for Georgia Power and the “clean coal” plant for Mississippi Power).
What sort of punishment did Southern Co.’s CEO experience last year for the failure? An 8 percent compensation raise to $15.8 million. Ain’t that nice?
Please, people, let’s press all Georgia elected officials for deregulation of electricity similar to the manner in which natural gas has been deregulated.
ALLEN BUCKLEY, ATLANTA
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