EDITOR:

I vote absentee because I am over 60 years old and eligible for that reason. When ballots are available I vote at Escanaba City Hall.

I voted in the August primary a couple of weeks ago.

Last week, Bob Bink wrote an excellent letter reminding us about the work performed by the Community Action Agency and that its decennial millage request is on the Aug. 7 primary ballot. He explained that Community Action Agency’s programs help us help ourselves.

I remembered that the Community Action Agency assisted my mother with senior companions and home cleaning services. Community action helps in so many other ways like Meals on Wheels, housing assistance, heating assistance, tax preparation, foster grandparents, transportation services, weatherization, an early childhood program, Medicare/Medicaid counseling and much more.

Community Action programs are not handouts from state or federal government. Community Action organizes local people assisting their neighbors.

Knowing the importance of the Community Action Agency’s work in our lives, I panicked because I couldn’t remember voting on the Community Action millage that is so important to our community. Fortunately, Michigan permits a do-over. I went to the clerk’s office and asked to vote again. The clerk spoiled/destroyed my first ballot and issued a new ballot. I voted using the fresh ballot.

I may have missed the millage proposal on the ballot because it is in the upper right one-third of the ballot. The candidates running for the two major political parties take two-thirds of the left side of the ballot. The list of candidates run down the entire page. I presume I voted down the ballot for my chosen primary candidates and didn’t return to the top and missed the millage proposal.

Thank you Bob Bink for alerting me.

Richard Clark

Escanaba