Election deniers and threats to democracy
John Calabrese wrote an interesting opinion in the News-Review on Sept. 20 about “election deniers” and pointing out that some Democrats in Congress voted against certifying the presidential election results in 2000, 2004 and 2016. Those are facts and I don’t dispute them and I agree with him that it only takes minimal research to uncover the truth. I just have a different perspective about these facts.
Isn’t it ironic that in 2001 it was a Democrat, then-Vice President Al Gore and a presidential candidate at that time, and Vice President Biden in 2017 that presided over the certifying process and the ones involved in overruling their own Democrats’ objections in the certification process. This was, of course, the certification of President Bush and Trump.
Then in 2004, Mon. John Kerry, D-Mass., who conceded on Nov. 3, 2004, said he would not take part in the protest or objections to certifying the election.
The objections in 2001, 2005 and 2017 were simply symbolic and not an effort to block the election results. The losing candidates in those years conceded shortly after the election and began the process of transferring the leadership of government. Trump, on the other hand, met with some House Republicans and began the process of trying to overturn the election. Trump didn’t concede until Jan. 7, 2021 — over two months after the election and a day after the insurrection.
The difference is clear after 147 Republicans voted not to certify the 2020 election; those objections could have conceivably overturned our presidential election. We were lucky this time because of some honorable Republicans who believe in the rule of law; (thank you, Mr. Pence and all the Republicans that have come forward and tested to the Jan. 6 committee).
As you stated, you apparently don’t like the media’s fixation on one party (obviously Republicans), concerning this topic — need I remind you that it’s the media’s job to keep us informed and to hold politicians accountable — they are not the enemy. I would hope you would be more concerned about our democracy and less about a political party. If you only want news that support your views, then you should be watching FOX News only.
Mr. Calabrese, it seems your point is: “What’s the big deal of trying to overthrow the election?” I know you didn’t state it in those terms and I surely hope that is not what you meant. At any rate, to me it’s a pretty big deal trying to overthrow an election, and at the present time I’m quite distracted with our own Jack Bergman who was among the 147 election deniers. Bergman also voted against an independent Jan. 6 commission, therefore we get what we get — what would you expect? — treat a coup as if it never happened — I don’t think so.
My mother never liked my excuse when I would say something like: “… but Mom, so and so did it, too.” She would reply to me, “does that make it right?!”
Because some Democrats symbolically opposed the election results because of some discrepancies, doesn’t make it right to overthrow the rights of voters because you don’t like the results.
Heaven save us if Trump ever returns to office — he won’t make the mistake again of appointing someone that isn’t loyal to him. Let’s put the country first, not a person, whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat.
Mark BryanPetoskey
Really think about the future of short-term rental policy
Today I read the article “Homes or Hotels.” It was well written and balanced. However it asks a question with an obvious answer. Of course short-term rentals (STR) are forcing working residents out of the housing market.
HB 4722 would allow STR in any residential zone and cap the number of units in a municipality at WHOPPING 30%. That would only exacerbate the housing shortage problem.
STR has a place in our Michigan Vacation Land BUT It would be more reasonable to relegate new STR to commercial Zones and not to R1 or R2 neighborhoods. In addition capping the number of STR units at 10% of the municipalities housing would improve the chances of local workers to find housing.
I encourage all who read this letter and agree with it to contact Wayne Schmidt, our 37th district state senator, as well as Gov. Whitmer.
Robert GorkiewiczCharlevoix
Celebrating National Community Foundation Week
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” ~Cotta Scott King
Community provides a foundation for our daily lives connecting us to friends and neighbors, to work and play, and to a shared experience of living in this corner of Northern Michigan. In the early 1990s, members of our northern Michigan communities planted the seed for a local resource for the greater good. Thanks to the actions of these forward-thinking community members, the Charlevoix County Community Foundation and the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation exist to serve our respective communities. Thirty years later, we remain deeply rooted in our communities.
Over the past year, your two Community Foundations have celebrated our anniversaries and reflected on what it means to be a part of a community. Thanks to the generous support of donors, we pool gifts to meet local needs. In the last thirty years, that has meant over $60 million in grant dollars returning to our communities. These dollars support innovative nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and local municipalities providing a broad range of needs and making our communities stronger. We work alongside other community leaders to tackle issues that impact each of us: clean air and water, homes, public transportation, health and wellness.
The myriad ways we connect with and work in community are made possible by friends like you. We celebrate three decades of leadership and engagement in Emmet and Charlevoix counties with sincere gratitude to you: our communities. And we look forward to the next 30 years, and beyond, as we continue to grow and serve our communities both deeper and more broadly. Together we can do more.
Chip HansenCharlevoix County Community FoundationDavid L. Jones (DJ)Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Letters to the Editor: Election deniers and threats to democracy