Ranked-choice voting stinks
The 15th Amendment establishes the “one-person, one-vote” rights of all Americans. This hard and fast rule has carried us through 148 years of growth and prosperity. We have been a world leader in commerce, finance, freedom and equality.
Now the Committee for Rank Choice Voting would have you believe that it we are not smart enough to pick our own leadership. They put forth a system so convoluted that no one will know how to vote or who they end up voting for in the end
The process is as follows: You vote on a ballot, which gives you a first, second, third choice and so on. If there is a majority winner, it is over. However, if there is no majority, they drop the least favorite. That candidate’s votes go to the second on their list. This process is shaken and stirred until someone gets a majority vote. Thus. giving “losers” votes to create “winners.”
This is paramount to having a teacher let you give a ranked choice of answers to an exam and you get to be wrong over and over again, not really learning anything. This system is based on the fickleness of voters not the ability or qualifications of a candidate. What could go wrong?
Since parts of it are in opposition to Maine’s Constitution, they need to amend it for ranked-choice voting to be adopted. Amending a Constitution usually involves getting a two-thirds vote. Maine would be the first state to adopt this method of voting. Only 11 cities in the U.S. are using it. There is a reason for that. Ranked-choice voting really stinks.
Diane Vernesoni
Wiscasset
Divided states of America
I love this great country and will never trust a whimsical career conman to be our president. Unconscionable #MeMeMe Trump supporters have put good manners, values, standards and fairness on hold in America. Divided we stand, each in our righteous bubble, sanctimonious in beliefs that we are right and they are wrong. Sadly, bigotry, bullying, blaming, shameful lying and a complete lack of responsibilities concerning our planet rule the day.
Corporations control elected politicians of either stripe and thereby control us through the laws they help enact. Republicans claim to be conservative, yet they spend faster than the Democrats on the military industrial complex? President Donald Trump and the GOP pushed a frenzied tax bill through, disregarding options to craft more thoughtful tax legislation. Why did the GOP not pay down our debt with the huge tax benefits for corporations?
Both parties have many paid-for career politicians who should be voted out. I am hopeful that sensible voting this fall will help calm troubled waters. I’m not feeling very proud about our leadership and concerned about gutted regulations that help protect our air, water and financial well-being. I pray we stay safe, and I’m looking forward to some warmer weather.
Dennis St. Jean
Chelsea
Journalism is dead
It appears that journalism has died. It has metamorphosed into theatrical entertainment. It’s now part of Hollywood’s shows for the season. Mainstream media and big city newspapers are key participants. “Let me entertain you” seems to be their theme. Deception, lies, manipulation and malice play daily parts in their broadcasts.
In many television shows, or movies, people often figure out the plots. In this new theatrical entertainment, that used to be known as journalism, many still haven’t figured out the plots. Some get it, but many do not.
Entertainment is important because it helps ratings, but there’s a greater purpose. The greater purpose is to destroy President Donald Trump at all costs. This entertainment has become known as propaganda to those who can figure it out.
Who’s behind this propaganda? Someone has to foot the bill, someone powerful and wealthy. Although they don’t want you to know it, this propaganda is being put out by the global elitists, establishment (Democrats and some Republicans) and leftists in efforts to move its new world order, or globalist agenda, forward.
Trump is a stumbling block to their efforts. Therefore, they hate him and will do anything they can to block his success. Trump is for America. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton didn’t get this treatment because they’re part of the establishment.
As a cancer attacks a living body, the global elitists and establishment are attacking the Constitution and soul of America. America is fighting for its life. Support, and pray for, Trump.
Michael Imhof
Aurora
Protect Johnson Amendment
The upcoming spending bill in Congress is being used to sneak in language to repeal or weaken the Johnson Amendment, the law that since 1954 has shielded nonprofit organizations from partisan politicking. That bill must pass by March 23 to keep the federal government from running out of money (and shutting down for a third time this year).
Under current rules, clergy can speak on political and moral issues as they see fit, even during election season. What they cannot do is engage in partisan election activity using a government subsidy in the form of tax exemptions and tax-deductible contributions for their houses of worship.
But imagine that in every sermon for the six months leading up to the election, a pastor endorsed various candidates and reiterated those endorsements. Suppose in every regular bulletin or email over those six months, the pastor or church leaders focused on endorsements. Nothing would stop a church, synagogue or mosque from using its volunteers to phone-bank or canvass for an endorsed candidate or pass the plate for political contributions at the same time it accepted tithes and offerings.
This would result in billions of dollars in nontransparent, anonymous political campaign spending redirected to houses of worship to take advantage of the tax-deductibility of such donations and the exemption for houses of worship from reporting their donors.
I hope that our senators and representatives will not vote for any spending bill that has this parasitic idea attached. Call or write to them to let them know you don’t want your nonprofit organization polluted by politics.
Patricia Dowse
Cambridge