Voting law doesn’t stop voters from using mailboxes
David Becker’s comment contained in “Analyst: Still easy to vote, but law is problematic,” News, April 19, that the new law “makes drop boxes very difficult to access” is meaningless.
Putting the subject in prospective, I would remind him that drop boxes did not exist prior to 2020. In fact they did not exist at all for any of the state’s elections at least as far back as 1960. And voters seemed to have adequately mailed in absentee ballots for all those years by using one of the 1,000,000-plus personal mailboxes that existed on their front porch, at the end of their driveway and in their apartment complex’s entryway. Voters can continue to use these 1,000,000-plus mailboxes to send in their absentee ballots. The new law allows that. Amazing, isn’t it?
In 2020, drop boxes were not provided in approximately 100 of Georgia’s 254 counties. The new law mandates at least one in every county. That has expanded their utility, not suppressed it.
The ridiculous drumbeat of voter suppression has really gotten old, and the people who continue to beat that drum have lost all credibility for honesty and common sense.
P.D. GOSSAGE, JOHNS CREEK
Don’t companies have right to free speech?
Do companies have a voice in politics or not?
Many Republicans and most Republican Congressmen support companies being counted as “people” and being allowed to give money to politicians, political parties, and unlimited money to Super PACS as part of free speech, but when these “people” aka companies exercise their free speech and come out in response to issues like the new voting restrictions in Georgia, they cry foul. Which is it? Should companies be allowed to contribute money in the political process and exercise free speech? If so, they should be allowed to say how they feel about those laws.
KENNETH ANDERSON, DECATUR
Carbon pricing a win for families, jobs
China agreeing to “cooperate urgently” on climate (”U.S., China agree to cooperate urgently on climate,” News, April 19) is a remarkable headline given our poor relations.
It highlights the importance China puts on taking action on the world’s greatest threat. Thankfully, President Joe Biden does too. He plans to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030. His ambitious and much-needed infrastructure plan includes job-producing investments in renewable energy and clean transportation. John Kerry, our Climate Envoy, says the president supports an effective price on carbon calling it one of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gases.
Economists agree. A carbon tax can be returned to Americans montly, a feature that attracts conservative support. Returning money monthly would offset slightly higher energy prices and can be used for other family expenses.
JEFF JOSLIN, ATLANTA
Legislators’ trampling of voting rights is unacceptable
When the 1964 Civil Rights Voting Act was voted on, Georgia’s U.S. Senators Richard Russell and Herman Talmadge voted Nay in addition to eight Georgia Congressmen.
Only Congressman Charles Weltner voted Yea. This year, Georgia’s Republicans voted for election restrictions to make it harder to vote and giving the Legislature more power over elections. This is a clear continuation of Georgia’s Legislative efforts to restrict voting of minority groups. The GOP in Georgia can argue otherwise all day long, yet the similarity here is shocking and anti-democratic. What is more sacred than the right to vote? To have it trampled is unacceptable.
DONALD SIMON, MARIETTA
