Vestal was right

In berating Shawn Vestal for his Aug. 12 comment (“McMorris Rodgers’ silence damaging: Valid mail elections keep her in office” Aug. 12), Beva Miles (“Tiresome attacks,” August 15) says not a word about Vestal’s main subject: CMR’s silence about events at the USPS.

Louis DeJoy, the new postmaster general, is a big Trump donor and fundraiser with no postal experience. He and his wife hold tens of millions of dollars in shares of companies competing with the USPS—a glaring conflict of interest.

DeJoy abruptly eliminated overtime, late trips, and extra trips, resulting in drifts of undelivered mail. He removed thousands of sorting machines and collection boxes. And he is ending the long-standing prioritization of ballots that are sent at bulk rate. Millions of ballots thus delayed could go uncounted.

By shaking Americans’ faith in vote-by-mail at a time when in-person voting could be lethal, DeJoy callously endangers lives and strikes at the heart of our democracy.

If crippling the USPS raises the value of DeJoy’s UPS stock, it’s also a nice polished apple for Trump. At Fox, Trump brazenly said he opposes much-needed USPS funding because it would help facilitate mail-in voting.

These outrageous actions and intentions befit a banana republic. To my knowledge, as of August 12, CMR had issued no statement condemning them. Since then, she has posted criticism of changes at the USPS. But why the delay? And why does CMR still endorse a flagrantly un-American president? Mr. Vestal’s cri de coeur was spot-on.

Brian Keeling

Spokane