Robert Steffes – 4/26/05

This page was last updated on April 27, 2005.

A truly patriotic act; Robert Steffes; Beaver County Times; April 26, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“Friday’s front-page story of Sheila Green’s efforts to ensure the integrity of our elections was uplifting.”

[RWC] That story couldn’t have been friendlier to Ms. Green had Ms. Green written it herself. Based on what I learned while researching my critique of Catherine Gatian’s letter, it appears the article’s author didn’t do a lot of research.

“After all the depressing indications of ongoing and deepening decline in our nation’s sense of citizenship, Ms. Green’s fight to protect the vote reminds us all that it is engaged citizens that keep democracy alive.

“Just making the effort to show up at the polls is really the least a patriotic citizen should do; Ms. Green is correct in her belief that we must take every precaution to make sure every vote is tabulated and verified.”

[RWC] Did you note Mr. Steffes didn’t write “every legal vote?”

“Kudos also to Secretary of State Pedro Cortes for acting swiftly to decertify the UniLect system when it proved questionable, regardless of the peevish, misplaced complaining of county officials.

“The underlying problem with our shaky electoral process is, in fact, that there are no uniform national standards, leaving the core mechanism of our democracy in the hands of local officials who have again and again proved inadequate for the task.”

[RWC] Translation: We’re too stupid to conduct elections so we need some politicians in Washington, DC, to tell us what to do. Where is Mr. Steffes’ proof of his allegation?

“I note from the story that Sheila Green has spent at least $6,000 of her own money to protect my vote and your vote. In honor of her patriotism, I’d like to donate to cover some of her costs. Where do I send the check?”

[RWC] The saying “a sucker’s born every minute” comes to mind.