I am addressing this letter to both of you. You are my Senator and my Representative, representing me and thousands of others in the most wonderful experiment, democracy, a government of the people, for the people and by the people. We have been again handed a terrible blow against democracy at this election time November the 2nd. No longer can we trust our voting process to be fair or accurate. Just look at what is going on right now in Ohio as we the people try to get a complete and accurate count of the election. In Gahanna 638 voters were counted at the polling center on November the 2nd. 4,258 votes for Bush 260 for Kerry are hard numbers to believe when looking at the number of people that were registered at polling booth. As you know I am neither registered Republican or Democrat for I see that our two party system is not working for us the people.

I have been privileged to know both of you directly, been in your company and worked with you in making our democracy work. For both of you to get to where you are in your life's work has taken work, brains and a heart. It is through the heart I wish to make contact with you today. I am asking for your help for something is terribly wrong in the U.S., here in Ohio. Your state of Ohio, my state of the free, the beautiful state given to us by our creator is in sorrow. It is in stress and in conflict and I believe you can help.

You must know what is happening and what happened on November the 2nd and what is happening as we who are fighting for the right of us citizens to have fair and accountable elections. You must know how we have been wanting campaign finance control. You must know how important the environment is for our survival as a people and the planet. You must know that thousands of people have lost their jobs in Ohio. You must know how corporations and legislators are working together for their own financial benefit. We the people who get most of our news through TV, radio and the papers have been robbed by the FCC and its control over what is being presented. You must know that the owners of Diebold of Ohio, makers of safe banking electronic machine have put unsafe voting machines in Ohio and across the nation. You must know how our Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, has worked to place them in every county even though his own research showed 57 problems. You must know that Taft and Blackwell have worked to keep campaign financing strong in Ohio. You must know how corporate money influences legislation. By the way, there is another bill having hearings right now, sub SB 214, which Dick and I are hoping to go to on November 16th and 17th. It is supposed to correct campaign financing, but will it? It didn't with their try in 2000. I could go on and on with the things that are destroying our democracy, but what I really want from you both is help. Help for you to understand, reach into your hearts to see how we are losing our democracy, how people are suffering and under stress, what laws you are passing that hurt our environment, laws that take away our freedom, laws that leave no child behind to pay for the debts of an unjust war and provide gun fodder for this war. Laws like HAVA without the follow through of strong standards and certification, allowing the problems we have in our lost voting. Not supporting the Holt bill 2239 and the senate bill that would have given us verifiable paper audit trails. Republicans have much power right now and I am asking for you not to misuse it, to not lead with fear and dishonesty, to again help our nation stand strong for justice and freedom for all people.

Sincerely,
Wilberta Eastman
Yellow Springs, Ohio