I am a dentist who provides treatment for chronic head and neck pain and makes oral appliances for sleep apnea treatment. These are medical conditions, not dental, and are covered by medical insurance. Unfortunately, there are too many people who come to me for help who cannot afford the treatment they need and do not have medical insurance. So they go without treatment, and continue to suffer.

I am in favor of universal health care. I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege, and we should wait no longer to provide this to all citizens.

Yes, it may mean lower fees for providers, but I am willing to accept this if it means that all people will be able to get the medical care they need. I believe that there are other health care providers who feel as I do. I encourage them to write to the editor and speak up about this vital issue.



It's no surprise that lobbyists are spending millions a day to prevent a health care bill that is not in sync with corporate interests. Our representatives in Washington also need to hear from their constituents about what we want. We need to use the power of our numbers to insist that a health care bill is passed that considers the interests of the citizens of New Mexico. Health care is our right. We should all be calling Sens. Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman and Rep. Ben Ray Luján to insist that they work to promote our interests, and those of our children, parents and partners.



Congress already has what many of us need, and most of us want: good health care coverage. Why then do many congresspeople imply that they do not want to share and ensure that all Americans have affordable coverage? After all, we pay for their health care! Perhaps if they would be willing to forgo their coverage, we might feel more charitable toward them. As it now stands, a great number of them should be fired!



For decades, U.S. legislators have seen the threats to our economy and national security from increasing dependence on foreign oil and climate change caused by the use of fossil fuels. The lack of leadership among lawmakers to address these issues, enforce regulation, and fund the research to steer the country's infrastructure into clean, renewable energy has been extremely frustrating to me as an American citizen.

Finally, the American Clean Energy and Security Act is a first step. While I believe it falls short in the area of rapid reduction of carbon emissions, it will begin the shift to renewable energy — creating jobs and saving billions from being spent on foreign oil. I urge Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall to stand firmly so ACES becomes law with all its teeth intact, thus helping our nation and the world gain ground lost in the leadership vacuum of the last decades.



With the crisis of global warming, many people and companies are taking the initiative to go green. Besides benefiting the planet, a sustainable future will bring millions of jobs. According to Time magazine,
5 million new jobs will be created if we work toward sustainability. Green-collar jobs are usually defined as jobs that work toward overall environmental sustainability. These jobs have to pay decent wages to support families and they must ensure a promising career path.

There may not be a lot to argue about the coming of green-collar jobs, but with the unemployment crisis nipping at our heels, one may be wary of drastic change from the traditional white- or blue-collar jobs. It is well known that America is plummeting further into poverty, which only proves that we are desperate for change, so why not invest in green-collar jobs?

Millions of new jobs will be created with the coming of a sustainable future because people will be needed to work in green businesses and many conventional jobs will be replaced.



The intersection at Paseo de Peralta and Bishop's Lodge Road/Washington Ave. is a disaster waiting to happen. The state Department of Transportation says these are state-managed roads, so the city can only patch problems and that the roads were built long ago and need $2 million to fix. Last week, there were holes and scattered bricks at the intersection, plus a raised metal edge where tires hit the road when traveling west. I no longer shop at
DeVargas Center because of tire damage to my car. Let's see if we can fix this disaster before there's an accident. For a temporary fix, call city councilors. The DOT
(476-4207) has money for repairs. Call state representatives and senators to get that
$2 million as part of the stimulus package to be allocated in 2010.