As a breast cancer survivor, I feel particularly qualified to assert my opinion on the latest U. S. Preventive Services Task Force's guidelines regarding mammograms. I'm uncertain at this point exactly whose best interests are served by this organization, but as one whose "starting annual mammograms at age 40" prevented "one additional death," I hope my story merits publication in your newspaper. ...more

November 20, 2009

I do want health care reform, but not like what has been voted on in Congress. This hurts most of us. Taxes will go up, no doubt. Medicare suffers. That hurts disabled persons and the elderly — those we are entrusted to care for. ...more

November 17, 2009

There are many patriotic American holidays but none is more special and personal than Veterans Day. I believe this is because our nation was born through sacrifices of those who answered the call of duty. We cannot see or talk to those whom have served and gone to heaven's gates but there are still many here and many to come that are just like the ones before. This call of duty is very special to Americans. Although there has been a terrible time when we fought each other, it has made us a better country for history is a learning process and we all fall short. We have never fought to take another country's land; on the contrary we have fought to protect the lives and land of others. The call of duty for this nation is a righteous one and has made our soldiers the best in the world. ...more

November 15, 2009

Robert Whitener's letter in the Nov. 11 edition of Hernando Today, "Standing up for health care," cites a figure of 46 million uninsured Americans. This oft-quoted statistic is actually a gross overestimation of the problem, as recent research suggests the number of Americans who cannot currently afford health insurance is much lower. ...more

November 14, 2009

Every 12 minutes, another American dies from lack of health care. Tick, tick, tick... ...more

November 13, 2009

President Barack Obama and Congress will soon make defining choices about health care and troops for Afghanistan. ...more

November 13, 2009

There has been a lot of discussion about the new health care reform bill before Congress and I would like to add my perspective. First I would like to agree with the conservatives that claim that this is a government intrusion into the private business of health care. Second, I would like to assert that this is a good thing, although I think this assertion is a matter of perspective. If you think Social Security is government intrusion into the retirement planning that we should do on our own, then you will hate this type of government action. If, however, you think we are a society that should and can provide for the health of all of our members then you will agree that this bill is long overdue. The simple issue is this: Do we as a society think it is our duty to make sure health care is available to all, or do we believe that those that want good health care should have planned better and gotten a career that provided health insurance for life and that those that didn't plan better, can simply die from lack of services brought on by their own lack of planning, or inability to get such a job? ...more

November 12, 2009

People are listening to the insurance companies that would love to keep gouging us and dumping us when we actually get sick. All we want is affordable health care (not free) with real coverage when we need it. How about having an option to keep the corporations honest and fair? Everybody knows someone who would like to be able to purchase health insurance but can't afford it. Come on America, we can do way better. The opponents are the insurance companies and the politicians taking huge money from them! ...more

November 12, 2009

County commissioners Tuesday unanimously ratified a contract the union negotiated with management. ...more

November 12, 2009

Our congresswoman, U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, continues to show her lack of concern ...more

November 11, 2009