LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
My experience attempting to vote
Congress should protect our
elections and fund vote-by-mail
The hardship facing the MTA after COVID
COURIER LIFE, JULY 3-9, 2020 19
BY ANA SANTIAGO
This election is the most
important in my lifetime -- but
this national crisis will make it
diffi cult for many to participate
in it.
That’s why voting rights experts
agree: Americans must
be able to cast a ballot by mail to
ensure that they can safely and
securely vote this year. Trump
and his cronies are wrong:
Mail-in voting is not a means
to rig the vote. In fact, Trump
himself has voted by mail numerous
times.
Funding has already been
approved by the House, so it’s
far past time for the Senate to
step up and make sure that voting
is safe, fair, and accessible
for everyone.
While no voting system is
perfect, we already know voting
by mail works. Multiple states
already conduct their elections
almost entirely by mail, with
incredibly high turn-out rates.
According to The New York
Times, in the 2018 midterms,
states that allowed voting by
mail had, on average, a 15.5 percent
higher turnout than states
that did not.
Increasing voter participation
is a universal good that
benefi ts everyone -- and our
elected leaders should want everyone
that’s eligible to vote.
In this election, perhaps
more than any other before it,
voters deserve the chance to
elect leaders who will protect
their health and their safety,
governing with their interests
in mind.
I’m grateful that my representatives
allocated some
funds to expand vote-by-mail
and other election assistance
measures like early voting, but
I am counting on Congress to
recognize the greater need to
protect our democracy and the
health of their constituents.
States need an additional $3.6
billion in federal funding right
now.
We have to protect our elections
before it’s too late.
BY LEANDRA STEWART
I recently experienced
what I could only describe
as voter suppression when I
voted in the June 23, 20202
election. Based on my address
I am registered in State Senate
District 25, which Tremaine
Wright, Jabari Brisport and
Jason Salmon were running.
The poll station at 930 Halsey
Street incorrectly gave me
a ballot for the 16th District
which listed Julia Salazar
and Andy Marte on my ballot.
While I noticed the error
because Tremaine Wright,
Jabari Brisport and Jason
Salmon were not on my ballot,
the error didn’t fully register
in my mind. Cell phones
are not allowed at ballot stations
so I couldn’t confi rm my
suspicions that my ballot was
indeed wrong until AFTER I
submitted it. Once I realized
I’d made a grave error and that
ballot was indeed incorrect, I
contact the Board of Elections.
They took down my complaint
on June 23rd. I spoke with a
Joseph Martinez (which I was
not happy about his lackluster
response stating that this was
only a primary. The whole
point of a primary is to be able
to vote for the candidate you
ultimately want for the general
election. He clearly does
not understand the importance
that every ballot be correct
and every voter be able to
accurately vote no matter the
level of election). After fi ling
a complaint with the Board
of Elections, I returned to the
poll site that same day. I spoke
with the coordinator who also
noticed the error. She told me
she spoke with the Board of
Elections and they told her
that there weren’t going to do
anything about it and the ballots
they had were the ones
they were to use. Fellow voters
were also outraged that
they didn’t see Tremaine,
Jabari, nor Jason their ballots
for the 25th District even
though they were certain they
should be on there based on
research they’d done for their
preferred candidate. I encouraged
them to also formally
voice their complaint with the
Board of Elections. The same
day, June 23rd, I reached out to
someone who was working on
the Tremaine Wright for Senator
campaign. I haven’t heard
back but I wanted to reach out
via this channel to make others
aware of this egregious
act. I have since contacted all
three candidates via their website
contact and the current
seated Senator, Velmanette
Montgomery about this event.
Now, more than ever, the votes
of people of color in their own
community matter. This type
of error, whether accidental or
purposeful can not and should
not go without notice and correction.
Citizens have a right
to vote CORRECTLY in every
single election. That was not
the case here. My community
in District 25 were given the
wrong ballots for candidates
who do not represent our district
nor our interest. I hope
something will be done regarding
the June 23rd election
and elections going forward.
BY LARRY PENNER
During the amNewYork
MTA NYC Transit and
NYC’s Reopening transportation
webinar in response
to a question about plans for
any fare increase as a result
of COVID-19, MTA Chairman
Pat Foye said in no uncertain
terms there is no consideration
toward imposing
a fare hike in the worst-case
scenario due to the COVID-19
ridership loss.
What he failed to mention
is the previous plan agreed
upon by both Governor Andrew
Cuomo and Mayor Bill
de Blasio. It included both
congestion pricing and fare
increases as part of a funding
package to support the
$51 billion MTA 2020 - 2024
Five Year Capital Plan. This
plan includes fare increases
no greater than 2 percent per
year. The MTA and State Legislature
committed to fare increases
occurring every two
years. With a fare increase
in 2019, the next would be in
2021.
The MTA currently faces
fi nancial shortfalls in the billions
for both capital and operating
expenses. Any fare
increase for NYC Transit local,
express and select bus
service, subway, Staten Island
Railway, MTA Bus along with
Long Island and Metro North
Rail Roads could be up to 4%.
There is still no guarantee
that Congestion Pricing will
begin in 2021. Due to the economic
recession as a result of
COVID-19, billions anticipated
from congestion pricing, real
estate transfer, internet sales,
along with other city and state
taxes, will be lost.
The result could be a larger
fare increase in 2021. The alternative
could be reductions
in the level of service, frequency
of maintenance along
with delays to capital projects
and programs to minimize
any fare increases.
Larry Penner is a transportation
advocate, historian
and writer who previously
worked 31 years for the Federal
Transit Administration
Region 2 New York Offi ce.
This included the development,
review, approval and
oversight for billions in capital
projects and programs
for the MTA, NYC Transit,
Long Island Rail Road, Metro
North Rail Road MTA Bus,
NYC DOT, New Jersey Transit
along with 30 other transit
agencies in NY and NJ.