Mail-in ballots vital to election participation
As a former Atlanta City Council member, one of the most requested items from supporters during my five campaigns was an application for mail-in ballots.
For the elderly, for people who travel a lot and people who have difficulty waiting in line at the polls but still want to participate in our elections, mail-in ballots are the answer.
Ironically, when I started doing genealogical research on my family and found a 1936 diary of my mother’s, I discovered that she did volunteer work on absentee ballots when she and my father moved from Florida to Washington D.C., during the Great Depression to work and finish college. I suppose it was a relatively new idea at the time, but certainly not a hint of controversy in our nation’s capital. It was simply another way to encourage people to vote.
I find it crazy now, almost nine decades later, to have a discussion about “stopping mail-in voting.”
CLAIR MULLER, ATLANTA
Rather have older, safer Lenox Mall
Regarding the new retail shops leasing at Lenox Mall. These new shops attract the Gen Z and Millennial shoppers, according to Lenox Square owners Simon Property Group.
I’ll take the days from 30 years ago when it was an actual pleasure to shop at Lenox without multiple police officers standing everywhere, reminding you of how out of control the crime has gotten in Buckhead.
Who are they kidding? This doesn’t help me feel safer. It just draws attention to the fact that Buckhead will never be safe like it used to be.
TERESA FRYMAN, ATLANTA
Stopping rooftop solar harms Georgians
I was dismayed to read the Aug. 5 article (“Free rooftop solar program just launched in Georgia. Trump may try to end it”) about the EPA’s plans to terminate Georgia BRIGHT’s Solar for All. The EPA followed through a few days later.
This action will only cause harm to Georgians. The initiative would have lowered energy bills for those who need it more. Moreover, more widespread use of alternative energy sources like solar would help reduce the demand on our energy grid, benefiting everyone.
Our energy demand is only going to rise in the future, especially with the rise of data centers, which place huge demands on the grid. Canceling programs like Solar for All is a step in the wrong direction.
TATYANA NIENOW, ATHENS
Georgia’s HERO service is impressive
Heading north on I-75 through the city recently, I experienced a sudden flat tire. I pulled to the narrow right shoulder close to the concrete wall, called AAA, and nervously waited inside as vehicles whizzed by within a couple of yards of my SUV.
I decided to try calling 511, the Georgia Department of Transportation’s HERO service. Within 15 minutes, the truck pulled up. I canceled AAA. Friendly Operator 436 squeezed up to my passenger window, put me at ease, and told me to stay inside. He retrieved my spare and changed the left front tire very efficiently, all while obviously taking safety precautions given the traffic.
I am so very thankful for this free service for those of us stranded on highways. There is much that needs improvement in Georgia, but the Georgia DOT HERO service is impressive! Thank you -- 511 will be my first call, if there’s a next time.
JEAN MILLKEY, VININGS
Need more people like Duncan in politics
In his Opinion column, “As a Democrat, it’s easier to love my neighbor,” AJC, Aug 5, Geoff Duncan showed that he is a conservative person with integrity and compassion.
We need in our politics as many people like him as we can get. If he decides to run for governor, he has one vote guaranteed.
DAVID T. BEDELL, ATLANTA
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