Opinion/Letters: It's time we had a ballot for unenrolled voters
For all of the unenrolled voters, and the people that are thinking of changing to unenrolled, when you go to vote in the primary, you must declare yourself either Democrat or Republican. That seems a little silly to me if you’re unenrolled.
The reason for being unenrolled is because you would like to vote for the person and not the party. Wouldn’t you think it would make more sense to have a Democrat, Republican, and unenrolled ballot? The unenrolled ballot would have all the candidates from both parties on it.
Election guide: Everything you need to know about voting in the MA state primaries
The last few years while voting in the primary, I stated that I am unenrolled and have some candidates that I feel really strongly about on both Democrat and Republican ballots, and that I would like to vote for candidates from both parties. I’ve been told the same thing for years, that I would have to declare myself one or the other. My reply was that is why I’m unenrolled.
I believe we should vote for the person and not the party. That may be helpful in trying to unite the people of the United States.
I’ve been told for years that you really need two or more parties in order to keep things in check.
I suppose there are some good arguments for that.
However, that is probably one of the biggest problems in the country. Wouldn’t it be nice for the people of the country to vote for the person and not the party?
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Maybe we should think about voting for the youngest candidate that will have a larger stake in the country after us old geezers are gone.
That would give the people a chance to fix the problems in the country that they will be living in for many years to come.
We surely know that what we have been doing for the last few years hasn’t worked.
Robert Celeste, East Falmouth
Quivet Neck speed limits reduced
I’m writing to make fellow readers aware of news this week in East Dennis: the town of Dennis completed a change to the speed limit signs within Quivet Neck, making it the first neighborhood on Cape Cod to have the speed limit reduced on all roads from 30 mph to 25 mph.
In the interest of public safety, due to concerns about speeding vehicles, the Quivet Neck Homeowners’ Association made the request to the town’s Road Safety Task Force. The Dennis Select Board voted to opt into Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90, Section 17C, reducing the statutory speed limit in the
Thickly Settled District from 30 mph to 25 mph.
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The layout of the Quivet Neck neighborhood is largely the same as shown in the 1880 Barnstable Atlas. As is the case for many other neighborhoods, the narrow, historic roads force pedestrians to share the road with cars and trucks towing boats. We’ve all seen too many stories about pedestrian accidents — the probability of bodily injury in an accident at 25 mph is much lower compared to 30 mph.
It’s my hope that increased awareness of this change, and the speed limit option, can lead to improved road safety.
Ed Klein, East Dennis
Life jackets save lives, but only if they are worn
A recent incident in the Cape Cod community highlights just how important wearing a life jacket is. A canoe capsized with three fishermen in it who were not wearing life jackets. (8/14) Luckily, they were rescued and are okay, but that unfortunately isn’t the case for everyone.
Last year, 83% of the people who died in a boating incident drowned because they weren’t wearing a life jacket. Many of these people considered themselves long-term boaters who knew how to swim, but if knocked unconscious or hurt when entering the water, it can be impossible to swim. You wouldn’t try to put a seatbelt on in the middle of a car crash. Likewise, it is not possible to try to put on a life jacket when you are in the middle of a boating emergency. A life jacket can’t save your life if it’s not on you.
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This is a great opportunity to remind boaters in the Cape Cod community about the importance of taking boating safety seriously. Make sure every person on board has a life jacket that fits them properly. If you need to borrow one, you can do so at one of the Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Stations.
Before you leave the dock, remember to put on your life jacket. You never know just how lifesaving it could be.
Gail R. Kulp, Executive Director Sea Tow Foundation
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Letters to the Editor: MA unenrolled voters, lifejackets save lives
