Letters: Centre County residents voice their opinion on Nov. 3 election
Consider hypocrisy when casting your vote
The hypocrisy of some politicians in this country is appallingly unbelievable. These elites seem to think that there is one set of rules for themselves and their cronies. Yet, there is a totally different set of rules for the common citizens.
To them, it is acceptable for people to riot and destroy entire neighborhoods with absolutely no social distancing. Yet, just across town it is unacceptable for citizens to gather in their church, synagogue, mosque, or any other place of worship.
To them, it is acceptable to avail themselves of certain services. Yet, the ordinary citizens in that same community are not allowed to be served by the same or similar providers because they have been shut down.
Look at hypocrisy when you decide who to vote for in November, Do they say one thing to the media or when they’re on the campaign trail, yet do another when the cameras are off? If so, do you truly want that person to represent you, no matter what office they may be running for?
The choice is yours. Exercise your right to vote in November, but do it wisely.
Mail-in voting is well designed in Pa.
I am saddened by the complicity of our representatives such as state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff and Sen. Jake Corman in facilitating the unsubstantiated claims of fraud in voting by mail by Trump. This is a time for us all to pull together, this is a time where the whole world is under threat of the pandemic. We need to be taking precautions, which means social distancing, masks and reduced indoor exposure to others. Mail-in balloting has been well designed in this state, as my wife can testify to, as she participated in this process in the last election. Mail-in balloting is the safest mode of voting in a pandemic, so we should be using it in these elections. Mr. Trump is going to call any election result that is not evident by Election Day as evidence of fraud. Especially as he has called for his followers to vote on Election Day in person. So you might expect him to lead in voting on Election Day, if mail-in ballots will need extra time to tabulate. He has exhibited and modeled very poor behavior in exposing his followers to mass unmasked gatherings, some of which are now known to be super-spreader events. In order to facilitate the counting of mail-in ballots we need to allow for early preparation of mail-in ballots, validating the signatures, and removing the outer enveloped so that the ballot may be run through the machine on Nov. 3. Excuses otherwise are contributing to delegitimizing our elections.
Stop voter suppression
I’m was glad to read recently that state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff of Bellefonte, the leader of the Republican majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, succeeded in having HB 1032 withdrawn from consideration. The bill was “a resolution establishing the Select Committee on Election Integrity to investigate, review and make recommendations concerning the regulation and conduct of the 2020 general election.”
Rep. Benninghoff’s rapid reaction to the many complaints to his office about HB 1032 and his admission, when pressed, that the legislature should have nothing to do with regulating the election do not add up to a “profile in courage.”
Rather they stem from the realization that it is too late to climb aboard the voter suppression train driven by Republicans across the country. The baggage on that train includes reducing the number of ballot boxes, disenfranchising voters, weakening the United States Postal Service, filing lawsuits to stop efforts to broaden access to voting, suggesting that citizens vote twice, diffusing misinformation about the existence of voter fraud, and supporting threats from the President to contest the election if he loses.
Other Republicans have had the courage to oppose the anti-democratic policies of the administration and its allies. In an advertisement sponsored by these Republicans, Captain Sully Sullenberger pointed out the many failures of the president and urged viewers to “vote him out.”
I say the same about Representative Benninghoff, but with a four extra words: “vote Peter Buck in.”
Influences on election
Facebook and Twitter have become the self-appointed censors of guaranteed First Amendment free speech in our democracy. Example: This month the New York Post (the oldest newspaper in the United States) published emails it said were from Hunter Biden’s computer and implicates the Biden family in a scheme involving business deals with foreign countries while Joe Biden was vice president and later. According to the New York Post, the emails implicate the Biden family in profitable payoffs from these “business deals” in return for access to the White House. Distribution of these emails was blocked by the social media giants in an attempt to influence the upcoming presidential election by protecting a candidate with questionable ethical financial involvements. Facebook and Twitter had no problem allowing the Trump tax articles, published in the New York Times, on the social media sites. When is the American public going to realize that these big tech firms are using politically biased censorship to influence the election? Our First Amendment rights are being challenged.
Officials should voice support of election process
A peaceful election process and transfer of power is a hallmark of American democracy. As an American, I am so proud of this that I have been a poll worker for almost 15 years. I am alarmed that President Trump has openly suggested he will resist this peaceful transfer of power. I am calling on all of our elected officials to publicly state, prior to Nov. 3, their support of our election process and the peaceful transfer of power. If you agree, please contact your elected officials to make this same request.
Benninghoff fights for local area
We have a good state representative in Kerry Benninghoff. Anyone who has met Rep. Benninghoff soon learns that he is very conscientious in meeting the needs of his constituents and our communities. He listens to our thoughts and concerns and carries our ideals to the state capitol where he is a respected leader among his fellow lawmakers.
Rep. Benninghoff has served us and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as Chairman of the Finance Committee and Policy Committee. In recent years, his colleagues have voted him to leadership positions which move the various pieces of legislation that benefits our state’s citizens.
Throughout his tenure as our state representative, Kerry has always believed in the importance of passing a state budget on time and keeping our taxes low and affordable for all. He understands and has fought for increased state support for our local schools, Penn State University, and our police and firefighters.
Kerry is engaged in our local community by his presence at many local school functions, as well as for our local students involved with boy scouts, girl scouts, and local boys and girls sports programs and student athletes.
When you have a state representative as thoughtful, caring and conscientious as Kerry Benninghoff, you keep him. That’s why I am voting for our State Representative Kerry Benninghoff on Election Day and I hope all voters join me.