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Monday's letters: Millions in U.S. may lose care

 
Published July 7, 2017

World spotlight on British baby's plight July 5

Millions here may lose care

It's typical of President Donald Trump's hypocrisy to make himself the good guy and tweet that he would be "delighted" to help Charlie, the terminally ill British child whose parents are fighting with the British courts and doctors about his treatment. What about the millions of people in this country who will lose treatment if the Republican health care act is passed? Isn't a condition like little Charlie's a pre-existing condition that would, sooner or later, stop being covered by Trump's replacement plan? Are the millions who would lose Medicaid, or the older people who won't be able to afford coverage, suppose to "crowd-fund" every time their child, or they themselves, require expensive medical treatment?

Michael Lang, Seminole

Schools rethink humiliating children July 5

This shouldn't happen

I was shocked and heartbroken to read this article from Killeen, Texas, in which a school lunchroom cashier told a child "you have no money" then took the child's milk carton and threw her food in the trash. This is child abuse, and the teaching assistant who witnessed this abuse should have spoken up for the child who walked away in tears. The food goes in the trash while a 4-year-old child goes hungry?

This should never happen in the United States. The Trump administration working with the Department of Agriculture should ensure this never happens to a child while he is president.

Kathryn Glynn, Sun City Center

Searing, molten slag unleashes a tragedy | July 1

Convert to gas plant

On reading about the tragedy at the Big Bend power plant, I was appalled to learn that the plant is still coal-fired. Given the abundance of cheap, natural gas, I assumed TECO made the conversion long ago. Natural gas burns cleaner, thus reducing harmful emissions by at least 50 percent. Residents of the area would certainly benefit from that. Cleaner burning also means decreased maintenance. Decreased maintenance equates to greater worker safety.

Richard Chile, Tampa

Blanket restoration is a bad idea | July 7, letter

Standards for voting

The letter writer states, "Serving a sentence may entitle a felon to regain a presumption of legal innocence. But it does not automatically restore a person's good character or civic virtue."

When were character and virtue ever a requirement to vote, and what standard of measure should we use? Maybe we should only allow property owners to vote, or how about using credit scores?

Jim Stout, Dade City