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Wants voters to pay postage

To the editor:

In response to the Messenger editorial published on July 27 titled “Government should pay for mail-in ballots.”

I understand as I read that editorial, it was very absent of thought. So, we shift the cost from the citizen for the postage to the state government. The government as you know, gets their money from all of us in the form of taxes. In order to add this cost to our government, they in turn raise our taxes to cover that expense. Once that tax is established, it will never be rescinded.

We have two ways to vote in Iowa, vote in person or vote by absentee ballot. It costs me time to walk to my voting place and if I choose to vote absentee, it costs 50 cents once, maybe twice that year.

I spent 20 years in the military and I look at voting as my patriotic duty. I volunteered to serve our country and the American people because I knew not everyone could or would step up to serve. When I was out of the country, I did not ask the American people to cover my postage or expensive phone calls in order to stay in contact with my family.

I was not sent to these places for my personal interests, I was there to do the bidding for the American people.

Our men and women in the armed forces give up a huge number of events and ceremonies unselfishly. They give up seeing their children grow and learn, birthdays, school events, babies’ births and family members’ deaths. The list goes on almost endlessly for those things many take for granted.

Is it really too much to ask that those who wish to cast their vote by absentee ballot, do so at their own expense? I don’t know how all of you feel, but I know that I can manage that 55 cents better than the state or federal government.

Daniel L. Murray

Fort Dodge

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