Support for voting by mail
Dear Editor;
Voting by mail should replace voting at the polls in its entirety. The two institutions that can definitely be trusted is the County Board of Elections and the United States Postal Service. The money saved by eliminating the need for poll workers could be used to offer free postage on the envelopes used to vote by mail. The person voting would also have more time to consider what they are voting for and would not be confined to the hours of the polling place. It would also prevent unwanted entry to schools and churches from anyone trying to harm someone. In addition, the voter would not be harassed by someone trying to place unsolicited campaign literature into their hand. The additional revenue would boost the Postal Service and perhaps keep it afloat until we as a country are able to vote online.
Voting by mail would solve the registered voter problem and guarantee safe passage of the ballots to the County Board of Elections. It might even prevent further spread of the Covid-19 Virus.
Joe Bialek
Cleveland, Ohio
How have USPS delays affected you?
Dear Editor;
I am outraged that President Trump is holding negotiations hostage on urgently needed COVID relief legislation--including desperately needed emergency funding for the U.S. Postal Service--just because he doesn't want millions of Americans to be able to safely cast their ballots in the mail. We know that is what's happening because he admitted to it on live television. This shocking admission came on the heels of a concerted effort by his recently appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former major donor to the Trump campaign and the Republican Party, to sabotage and politicize the operations of the Postal Service.
This morning, Postmaster General DeJoy testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. My colleagues detailed numerous complaints they have fielded from their constituents all around the country. There have been massive service disruptions, failures in delivery, removal of sorting machines, retaliation against postal workers who are raising attention to problems, and price hikes on packages, all stemming from the changes implemented since Mr. DeJoy took on his new leadership role. I have heard from many New Mexicans echoing similar concerns. During the hearing, I was disappointed to see Mr. DeJoy dodge questions and deny the widespread and detailed accounts of serious problems and noticeable delays in operations.
I am committed to doing everything in my power to hold the Trump administration accountable for delivering the services that Americans rely on. As part of that effort, I would like to learn more from New Mexicans who have important information about disruptions to the Postal Service or who believe they have been impacted by unusual delays in service. Please visit Heinrich.Senate.Gov/postal to tell me about your experiences. If you are experiencing urgent problems with your mail delivery and need assistance, I also encourage you to contact my office right away.
We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and seniors and New Mexicans living with chronic health conditions are relying on the Postal Service to deliver their prescriptions. We are in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and our small businesses need the Postal Service to provide reliable, on-time shipping. Members of the military serving abroad depend on the Postal Service to stay in touch with their families. And with only weeks to go before voting begins in the presidential election, we need absolute certainty that all of our votes will count.
We cannot allow President Trump's brazen political attacks on the essential services that the U.S. Postal Service provides to stand.
Martin Heinrich, United States Senator
Editor’s notes: The Cibola Citizen seeks and welcomes letters to the editor on any and all topics. All letters must be no longer than 500 words (one full page, single spaced) and contain the writer’s name and contact phone number for verification. Unsigned letters will not be printed. The Cibola Citizen reserves the right to edit any and all submissions.