Letters to the editor | Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020: Voting boxes cause a stir in Modesto
Pandora’s boxes in Modesto
Re “State subpoenas seek info on GOP drop boxes” (Front Page, Oct. 19): Rick Countryman, co-senior pastor of Big Valley Grace in Modesto, is running for mayor. He has placed — along with Ted Howze, running for Congress — unofficial ballot drop boxes at local churches. These are not official. The CA GOP has been issued a cease and desist letter about these drop boxes. They refuse to remove them and are ignoring current voting regulations.
Why would anyone vote for a mayor or congressperson who is knowingly violating voting laws? This from the GOP, the “party of law and order.” Alex Padilla, secretary of state, says “What’s problematic here is that, when the chain of custody is lost, there is no guarantee that all the ballots were indeed delivered to the county and delivered on a timely basis.”
Do you really want to trust your vote to be delivered by people who are not following the election rules? And why would a “man of God” be playing fast and loose with election rules? Cheating to win — the GOP way.
Gaetana Drake, Modesto
Voting boxes are disturbing
Re “Stanislaus County elections office issues alert about unofficial ballot drop boxes” (Online, Oct. 14): I find it quite disturbing that Big Valley Grace would set up illegal voting boxes at their church. It is especially disturbing that their co-senior pastor Rick Countryman, who is running for mayor of Modesto, presumably knew about this. If Mr. Countryman was to win the mayoral election through illegal votes it would create a great stain on this city. He should immediately stop this illegal voting or forfeit his right to be mayor.
Derek Castle, Modesto
Separate church and state
Re “Stanislaus County elections office issues alert about unofficial ballot drop boxes” (Online, Oct. 14): This is simply illegal in California. My next question is, what happened to separating church and state? We need to start taxing churches, if they’re going to jump into the political mix.
Leslie Bradley, Modesto
A plug for conservatism
If Joe Biden and Rep. Josh Harder are elected and two California ballot propositions are approved, taxpayers can expect an assault upon their wallets. Biden and Harder have pledged to remove President Trump’s tax cuts, which have saved the average family of four about $2,000 per year. In their place, Biden and Harder have backed a $4 trillion tax increase over the next decade. These two politicians are bad for the middle class.
In California, Gavin Newsom-backed Proposition 15 would impose higher property taxes on commercial and industrial properties of up to $12 billion annually. That cost would be imposed on every Costco, Walmart, gas station and shopping mall in California as well as the 80% of small businesses that lease their property. People need to remember: Businesses don’t pay taxes — consumers pay taxes.
The Democrats view anyone with a home as rich and want to take us back to the 1970s when people were losing their homes because of soaring property taxes. In addition to supporting President Trump and Ted Howze for Congress, voters should support Jim Ridenour for the state Senate and reject Propositions 15 and 19.
Steve Wampler, Tracy