Letters to the editor for Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016

Election process needs reformation

We really need to sit down and talk. If we could put aside the childish name-calling and wild characterizations about our candidates and parties for awhile and just talk about our problems, concerns and goals I believe we’d find we are a lot closer together than we think.

We may disagree on the solutions, but if we worked together instead of competing we could come up with some pretty good ideas. That’s how government and community is supposed to work.

We must reform our election process — shorten it, get the money out and bring information, real information, to the attention of the voters, instead of treating it like a sporting event, or worse, a celebrity gossip show.

We have non-partisan fact-checking organizations established — maybe all proposed commercials should be checked by them before they’re allowed on the air. The lies and inconsequential rumors thrown out to distract voters from what’s really important have been destructive and relentless.

Above all, we have to remind ourselves that we are hiring our representatives, our decision makers, not voting for contestants on the Gong Show, and give it the serious effort that it deserves.

Let’s not do this anymore. Let’s resolve now to run a better election next time.

Vicki Bates

Minden