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Hernando Today

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 16, 2008

Updated: 10/16/2008 10:40 am

Health Care Conundrum

Re: Health care costly issue for candidates in the Oct. 7 edition of Hernando Today.

Needed is a program of universal health care and insurance provided by federal government administered through states and county health departments. Benefits, initially, would be a combination of Medicare and Medicaid as well as preventive care. Cost of prescription drugs would be controlled.

Further, providers of health care would be paid adequately and directly by government instead of inadequately through commercial insurers with their excessive administration costs and profits as well as "golden parachutes" for executives. Such program would be funded by an added percentage of income tax paid. Employees' health insurance is not employer's responsibility.

Opponents of such program refer to it as socialized medicine. The same people, however, accept Medicare and Medicaid, veterans' health services and public health, which are socialized health programs. Again, these opponents have no difficulty in accepting education, military and highways, which are socialized services.

James A. Willan

Brooksville

Christians Must

Stand Up For Nation

As we approach yet another presidential election, I am absolutely stymied as to who to vote for. "Why is that?" I ask myself. I have never gone through this before and, being 60 years old now, I have participated in more than a few elections. This is serious business - this voting process.

This is the first debate I listened to in which the candidates were not asked about their "religious" affiliation. Being a Christian, this is an important issue to me. Our country has never been in so much trouble as it is now. There was a time when our country was financially stable. Are we now? There was also a time when our country was respected, not only by each other but also other countries. We are not now.

How did all this happen? Who is at fault here? I hate to admit it, but we are, my dear Christian friends. We are the ones who sit comfortably in our house of worship and do nothing more. There was a time when being a Christian meant the building of a nation - "In God we trust." There was a time when reading the Bible in school was not only legal but it was encouraged. There was also a time when public meetings were not only opened with the Pledge of Allegiance but also a prayer. How often does this happen anymore?

We, as Christians, need to bring the Lord back into our society. This is a public show of faith. We are at fault here for what is happening to our country and society because we don't speak up publically as Christians. We don't greet each other with a Christian hug, we don't pray for one another publically. How long has it been since we have left one another with a "God bless you" instead of a plain old "goodbye?" How long has it been since we have said grace in public?

If we Christians will become more public about our faith, I am quite sure we will see positive changes in our society. God does not want to be ashamed of our Christian heritage; he wants us to feel honored to be of His chosen followers. We have a power source here that will exceed all other sources in the world, if we just tap into it.

Changes will be made, but our complacent attitude has to change. We need to share with others our faith in the Lord. That is our job as Christians to bring others to the Lord. We need to be out in the secular world doing this. "Bible Bangers," "Fanatics" and "Nuts," whatever they call us - it does not matter. What this country needs more than anything else right now is the Lord. It is our job to convey that message.

The time for Christians to be comfortable is past. We have a job to do and not much in which to do it. So, my dear fellow Christians, let's get with it. The time to tell others about Jesus is now.

Charlotte A. Mason

Weeki Wachee

Believe It Or

Not - It's True

We were happy when the first bailout bill failed. When the Senate (a Democratic majority) revisited the bailout bill, adding the pork to it, those Democrats and Republicans bit right into it. The bill consisted of about $150 billion extra for the pork, giving tax exemptions for wooden arrows for children, certain wool products and on and on.

Why was this bill rushed to be signed in only a few days when it consisted of more than 400 pages? One of the bailouts was AIG in the amount of about $92 billion. Would you believe after the bailout, they decided to spend $480,000-plus by partying at a spa in California - dining elegantly, having massages and all those goodies. By the way, on our money - the taxpayer. This $480,000-plus could have prevented quite a few foreclosures.

U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite was appalled by this bailout even though it was signed by President Bush. The reason being, I bet she read all 400-plus pages.

By the way, the market is unstable (worse than before the bailout). More banks are failing. Will the FDIC be able to protect your money? I hope so!

Eleanor Marholin

Brooksville

In Honor Of John McCain

Re: Letter in Hernando Today recently from Charles Fisher of Weeki Wachee:

Shame on you, Mr. Fisher!

These honorable men that you ridiculed have tried hard and, in most instances, succeeded in keeping America free.

All the men of the McCain family have sacrificed a lot being away from their families for months and years to do what they could to keep all of us free - you, too!

Now, McCain is bent on all he can do to change things. You can't blame anyone in particular for what has happened to the economy. However, a close watch will now be placed on all these big CEOs and companies.

What have you done for your country? There are men and women all over our area who have courageously fought for America in the armed services.

Guess what? We are still free!

You know, Mr. Fisher, the road out of America is not blocked.

Wake up and go vote.

God bless you.

Marian Henson

Spring Hill

Help Needed

Do you want to help a little girl who was in a deadly car accident? Summer Moll remains in the hospital in serious condition and her mother is no longer with us after their car was struck by a drunk driver last month.

Fox Chapel Middle School is trying to raise at least $500 for Summer. Please help this little girl.

Please help by filling out checks to: the Summer Moll Trust and send them to attorney Mac Greco III, 501 N Morgan St., Tampa, FL, 33602.

Autumn McGovern

Fox Chapel Middle

School student

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