To the Editor:

I would like to share my story about the scary state of the current health care system and why there needs to be reform.  All my adult life I have always paid into the system for insurance - always - never let it lag whether I was covered by my employer or not or whether I wasn't working. The need for insurance was instilled in me by my parents, and after seeing their astronomical bills from their health crises I knew that if they didn't have their insurance they would have lost everything.

And when, of course, I come down with a life-threatening and now deadly disease - stage 4 metastatic breast cancer - I am screwed because the industry does not cover pre-existing conditions.  I am currently on a conversion policy because the insurance carriers don't like you to move either.  If I chose to stay in Virginia four years ago and not be near my remaining family, I would still be paying an affordable premium.  However, I, under the faith that my cancer would not return and my desire to live life to the fullest and do what was best for me, I chose to move to Georgia. 

Luckily, I was with Blue Cross-Blue Shield, which allows you to move to another BCBS within their association.  Not so ideal was the high monthly premium (last year just for myself - my son is on his own policy which is reasonably priced - was $770 a month) plus a $5,000 deductible before they pay one cent each calendar year.  After the deductible is met, then BCBS will pay 80% and I pay 20% of everything. 

To the Editor:

Celia Murray recently wrote a very compelling argument about the proposed health care plan and why we should all just relax, accept what the Democrats see as wrong with our current system, and go along with their thoroughly-conceived bill to correct the faults. In fact, I was so impressed, I'm going to use the Democrat's logic to solve my own problem.

Last week my dryer quit. What am I to do? First I need to analyze all the things that could be wrong and then correct them. Let’s see, the light-colored load dried perfectly. Then I put in the dark load, pushed the start button and . . . nothing happened. Discrimination? This load was mostly work clothes we use farming, the underclass of clothing that is used to labor in the fields. Many of them were also old, probably ready for the rag pile and I shouldn’t be trying to keep them going anyway.

This shouldn’t be allowed to happen. I’ll throw the dryer away and get one that is more tolerant and accepts everything. But that may not be enough. What if there are still some clothes that can’t get dryer care. What if my jeans had a pre-existing rip and the dryer was afraid to tumble them anymore? There should be another choice. Aha! I need a public option, a commercial type dryer.

But I like my dryer! It always took beautiful care of my laundry. I don’t want to lose what I've got. I guess I need both a fine dryer and a public dryer. Of course, I don’t have room for two dryers. Hmm. I’ll need a new laundry room, a bigger laundry room, and new people to handle things and make sure it all runs smoothly. Wow, this could get expensive! Well, I'll just have to tell my kids and grandkids they'll be responsible for the expense.

To the Editor:

After great disappointment in your initial article on the Hodges trial on August 27, 2009, I was even more outraged by the second article on September 3, 2009, which furthered its approach of sensationalism, biased tones, and inaccurate reporting on the part of Colby Dunn, as well as approval of such an article by Patrick Yost.

Regardless of your smug opinion, I attended the trial five out of six days, and felt that, based on the testimony I heard, Colby Dunn formed her opinion long before ever showing up. The defense had a very strong case based on a condition suffered by the accused called “parasomnia”. A case based on an act that occurred during sleep, verified by the victim, and was never at a level to which criminal charges should have been filed. A case that was not only recognized by the people that attended the trial and listened to evidence, but more importantly acknowledged by the twelve jurors that lead to a not-guilty verdict.

After looking through your archives, I cannot find any trial you covered to this extent. Why them and why now? I also question your choice of photographs. Of all the photographs that were taken during that span, ones more indicative of the emotion & true state of the trial, you pick two nondescript photos of the accused & his wife smiling & talking on a cell phone.  I saw your photographer & the photographs that were taken. Many great photographs were shot. The ones you chose were provocative and again validated your slant. Perhaps that is your intent - selling newspapers at whatever cost, even if that means to the detriment of the subject matter.

To the Editor:

What the county calls a “property tax” is not a tax on property. It is a tax on income.
I do not sell my property in order to pay my property tax. Even if I could afford to do so annually, I wouldn’t, because I like where I live. I cannot sell a corner of my lot to satisfy the tax levy, nor can I lease a bit of attic space to the county in order to pay the tax bill. I pay my property tax out of my income. Everyone does. Thus, the “property tax” is really just another tax on income.
This particular income tax is loosely progressive, and then only when the taxpayer is in his earning years. The middle-aged executive generally owns a much larger house – and pays a much higher tax – than a young couple fresh from school in their first house. In this respect the property tax is loosely progressive.
But when the homeowner retires and goes on a fixed income, the tax becomes regressive, meaning that the less you earn, the more you pay, as a percentage of your income. Over time, the increase in value of a property generally exceeds the increase in cost of living adjustments to retirement income. The retired property owner is squeezed.
No political party in this country supports a regressive income tax, because it is universally recognized as unfair. The Democrats reject it, the Republicans reject it. Even Fidel Castro rejects it. But there is one democratically elected body in Morgan County that thinks the regressive income tax fair for our seniors, and that is the Board of Education.

To the Editor:

To the Editor: 
    Who would have guessed that 49 precious pups would turn out for the Madison Artists Guild’s first Parade of Pooches? These doggies and their owners helped the Guild raise $250 for Companion Animal Rescue, Inc.! Thank you so much to all of them for putting on the dog with us on such a beautiful day.
    A very special thank you goes to the generous sponsors who provided prizes and refreshments: first place from Main Street Vet, second and fourth Place from Wild Berry Health Foods, third place from Artisan’s Alley and Laughing Moon. Thanks also to Barkin’ Dogs Shoes for the much needed bottled water, Town 220 for the delicious culinary samples, and The Shops at the Icehouse Underground for the very specially home made doggie biscuits! Dog Ear Books deserves a “Thank you very much!” for the prizes they donated for the Doggie Doodles Art Show, which opened right before the parade.
    The show hangs at The Shops at the Icehouse Underground till September 1, and all the little kids who participated had a great time at the reception.
    Thanks to Julie Noland, Amy Bryan, Carolyn Glenn and Jan Reilly for all their help with the opening. Please visit this great little show!
    A legion of Guild members and folks from CARI were responsible for the success of the parade: Donna Prior and her team, Joanie Bruce, “Big Mitzi,” Jan Reilly, Lisa Hamilton, Tim Reilly, Greg Strelecki, Pete Muzyka, Bill Scholly, Mary Leslie, Kiki Pollard, Ellen Warren, Peg and Wanda Harvard. Guild member and photographer Kelley Channell worked hard snapping pictures of all the entrants and is donating any money collected from the sale of those prints to CARI. Check out her Web site, www.kelleychannell.com, for her posting and to order prints of your parading pooches!