The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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August 27, 2010

Our Readers Speak

Readers The Register-Herald

BECKLEY — Vote no to the voting change amendment



If Beckley officials and the Chamber of Commerce really wanted to increase voter turnout then why did their first proposal not coincide the election cycles?

The mayor’s first proposal only made the elections nonpartisan and cut it to one election. The mayor said (if you recall) that the secretary of state was blocking or at least questioning coinciding with the elections to run with the presidential election. I personally called and talked to the SOS and she told me this was not so she didn’t have anything to do with the change and it was entirely up to the charter and the city council.

We had to push and push hard to get the city officials to add the money saving coinciding factor to this amendment. This should prove to everyone the real reason for this change now is not to save money but to conceal information from the voters’ and to lessen the voters opportunity to a one vote election.

Again we are the ones that got the elections to fall with the presidential election on the ballot coming up on the 28th not the chamber or the city, the purpose being to really get more voters out and to save the city money.

Ask yourself, if we are really trying to get voters out don’t we need to create excitement by knowing who we are voting for and picking a certain party’s top to oppose the other party’s top and give them opportunity to debate so we can find out their ideas then conclude which will be the best for us? If the new one election cycle coincides with the presidential elections and the city will save by this then having two normal elections would cost no more, remember we can coincide the fall election still keeping the conventional election process for no more money.

To wrap it all up simply, we the voters should have the right to know what a candidate’s background is and their ideology and we need to understand that by coinciding both elections with the presidential elections would cost us not one penny more.

Is the real purpose here to give a party that has had a harder time winning an advantage? Ask yourself this and then check and see which party the Chamber of Commerce gave contributions to in the 27th House race. You can look it up on the SOS website.

Please vote no to the city amendment on the 28th and then we can try to have our customary elections but have them moved to coincide with the presidential elections to save money.



Melvin “Mel” Kessler

Beckley

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