Voting task force flies in the face of honest elections
In the last several years, unfounded stories of widespread voter fraud have emerged and polluted our national conversation. President Trump recently decided to conflate the issue further, in spite of winning election.
The president’s newly commissioned task force to investigate widespread voter fraud is a waste of time and an insult to the reputation of the continuing legacy of open, fair and accountable elections administration in Maricopa County, Arizona.
There is no widespread voter fraud in Maricopa County.
While there may be rare and occasional incidents around the state and the nation, the idea of widespread fraud, which compromises the integrity of our elections, is false.
Election officials around the entire nation know this as well. A recent Brennan Center study, which clearly describes its own methodology and findings, confirms the overblown and exaggerated claims of fraud and how those claims undermine election administration.
“Studies have consistently shown that our elections are not infected by widespread fraud, and some types of fraud, like in-person impersonation and noncitizen voting, have been found time and again to be very rare,” it reports.
I will continue the good work of this office, with the good people of this office, without regard to these distractions. — Adrian Fontes, Phoenix The writer is the Maricopa County recorder.
Obama got fawning coverage; President Trump, uh, not so much
We can only imagine the praise Barack Obama would have enjoyed had he given, word for word, the same speech Donald Trump gave in Saudi Arabia.
I am sure it would have been heralded to an extent we have not seen since “ask not what your country can do for you.”
— Scott Davenport, Mesa
There are plenty of other ways for creationist to study Grand Canyon
In response to “Why was creationist researcher blocked from Grand Canyon?, Letters, Sunday):
In 2011, we hosted a symposium of paleontologists from all over the world. These were renowned individuals, almost all of whom were PhD’s in the field with many publications in peer reviewed publications and authors of many books on the various areas of the science.
We had three days of presentations followed by field trips in Northern Arizona and Nevada. One of the field trips was to the Grand Canyon.
We were not allowed to collect. And none of us were creationists. In fact, we had to pay for admission to the national park just like everyone else. The key here is “National Park” where no one is allowed to collect.
If creationist Andrew Snelling wishes to collect from the strata in the Grand Canyon they are all available in other easily accessible locations, including Grand Canyon West on the Hualapai Indian Community, where, with permission of the tribe, we were allowed to collect. The Vishnu Schist at the bottom of the canyon is very easily accessible here, as is the Great Unconformity, and all of the other layers.
Science research alternatives. Don’t complain.
— Peter Scholten, Show Low
NPR and PBS are the closest you’ll get to unbiased news
“When do we get network news that aspires to be objective?” We’ve already got it Phil Boas! It’s called PBS (the Public Broadcasting System). And you can watch it for free locally on Channel Eight, KAET-TV.
And if you don’t have a TV, tune your local radio to KJZZ, 91.5 FM, for NPR (National Public Radio) and listen for free. Nothing could provide more objective broadcast news and still be the work of human beings. — Ben Andrews, Phoenix
Benson, McCain, Nowicki and Flake are anti-Trump tag-team
Steve Benson, you and your ilk continue to express your open, unpatriotic and insidious Etch-a-Sketch hatred for the president of the United States.
You, McCain, Flake and Republic reporter Dan Nowicki should tag team a hate-fest in the local alley, your possibly preferred, home away from home.
You should also make your picture a little bit larger on Sunday and restate your true belief to the leftists you appeal to by saying, Trump isn’t special; I’m the one who’s special!”
— Rich Schnakenberg, Phoenix