Why Sarnia’s next election should return to paper ballots
Sir: I recently took the City of Sarnia’s survey on our last election, which asked us what we thought of the ‘new’ system of telephone and Internet voting.
In my opinion – it worked; but it did not save the city the amount of money that they had hoped for, nor did it bring a major increase in voter participation.
So much for the 'official' reasons for the new way of voting. Personally, I never want to see it happen again.
With eVoting there is no guarantee the person who is 'eligible' to vote is the person who actually casts the vote.
A simple example: three voting codes arrive at a residence for the registered occupants, but only one person is home or only one person there cares about voting. Now, that one person has the ability to cast three votes. This is not democracy.
Using a computer to vote leaves us open to hacking. If you doubt that, just watch the news to see which major corporation or government agency was the latest to be hacked.
With the electronic system, there are no scrutinizers, no neutral third-party observers to recount or verify the vote. The ability to track down people voting against a given plan/party/person is just one hacker away.
I prefer to walk into a voting centre and have my name confirmed on a voting registry, with proof of identification. I am then handed a paper copy of all the candidates. My selection is private, anonymous and can be counted, recounted and verified.
THIS is democracy!
R.B. Browning
Sarnia
Kudos to The Journal for delivering positive local news
Sir: I just want to say a big “thank you” to you and the staff for The Journal.
It is such a treat to receive your paper every week. It is uplifting to read about positive and local news, instead of the depressing and negative things the media thrives on reporting.
And please tell Tom St. Amand I enjoy the trivia column. I can usually answer two or three.
Keep up the great work!
Mary Brunton
Sarnia
Save the Canatara cabin and preserve Sarnia’s history
Sir: Thank you for publishing Phil Egan’s (Jan. 17) piece on Canatara’s log cabin.
I am Sandi Spaulding’s daughter, Maud Hanna’s great-great granddaughter. I learned of Maud’s love for Sarnia and her value of public service early on, and visiting Canatara has always been a reminder of both to me.
The park and the cabin that Maud once owned make up my fondest childhood memories of Sarnia, coupled with the ever-Canadian routine of summers enjoying the lake.
The cabin holds a key role tying Sarnia’s heritage to Canada’s rich history. I hope the cabin is preserved and that its special stories are shared. Warm regards,
Carly Erickson
Washington, D.C.
It’s boat pollution that’s making ducks sick, not eating bread
Sir: Regarding the Jan. 17 letter about feeding ducks, “Don’t cast your bread upon the waters.”
The ducks in Sarnia Bay are getting sick from the exhaust film left by boats at the marina, not from the fresh bread people are leaving for them.
All boats leave an exhaust film in the water and it moves into the bay, and ducks will go where they want.
There are also tons of ducks down by Bridgeview Marina, and it’s not the bread that’s making them sick.
Debbie Seguin
Sarnia
You say Sarnia is a safe place to drive? Give me a brake
Sir: Every now and then I am compelled to vent via The Sarnia Journal. This letter took longer than usual to write because I had to stop laughing first.
On page 2 of the Jan. 10 edition there, in black and white, was a small story with the headline: “Sarnia a safe place for driving.”
The insurance people who gathered this data must have come from the same group who said Trump wouldn’t win the American presidential election.
Hopefully, they will bundle up a team and send them to Sarnia where I can join them. We'll grab some coffee and set up lawn chairs at Murphy and Wellington, Murphy and London, and Murphy and Exmouth, where we could spend a day watching Sarnia drivers run yellow lights.
If our intersections had cameras, and there was a $500 fine for running a light, the city’s debt could be cleared in five years. Maybe five months.
Ed Williamson
Sarnia