As the Legislature prepares to act on the Fiscal Year 2009 supplemental budget and begins serious deliberations on the next biennial budget, it is a good time to think about how some of the proposed budget reductions will affect health care in our community.

To the Editor:

On Jan. 27, in accordance with the School Consolidation Law proposed by Governor Baldacci and passed by the Legislature, the voters of School Union 74, along with the voters of School Union 49, and the Town of Jefferson will go to the polls to vote on whether or not they wish their school district to become part of a combined Alternative Organizational Structure.

After attending another meeting by the Newcastle Land Use Ordinance Committee, to see the proposed changes to the ordinance it is obvious that the townspeople and landowners do not want this, as written. However, I feel our voice is falling on deaf ears.

Too much of what was being debated was simply one person imposing his or her values and interests over someone else’s values and interests.

Eivend Boe makes a case for a National Health Service, paid for by taxation and administered by the Government. However one or two points seem to have escaped his notice.

To the Editor:

The year 2008 has gone and it is a time to reflect on the 118 animals that were seized or released to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter. All now have new and loving homes. Robert Todte, of Target in Topsham, Mark Gimbel of Gimbel’s in Boothbay Harbor, and Simpson’s Fish Market in Wiscasset, all helped to provide financial assistance for the care of the Shelter animals.

To the Editor:

If, in 2008, one country considered passing a law stating, “Everyone has a right not to be offended,” it would have created a legal mess, because everyone is offended by something, and where would freedom of speech be – with no dialog, no reforms, nor progress.

To The Editor:

I am writing in response to two letters from LCN 12/25, both referring to the LCN 12/11 commentary of Rev. Douglas Wright. To begin, I would like to address Albert R. Boynton of Whitefield, and Carl Wolff of Waldoboro. It is obvious to me that both of these men are very passionate about their faith in God, as they each believe him to be.

Nice to learn this week the feds finally got around to acknowledging what the blind have been able to see for months now. We are in a national recession and have been so for about a year now. Thank you for that.

Last week, a woman was in line at Renys with an expensive Christmas present in hand. For no particular reason other than it is apparently that time of the season, the gentleman in line in front of her, insisted on paying for her purchase himself.

To the Editor:

This letter is in response to an amazing act of kindness and Christmas spirit our family received.

First, this year has been a hard year financially. We know that we are not the only family that has struggled to make ends meet.

To the Editor:

Douglass Wright (LCN 12/11) tries to defend his advocacy for homosexual marriage.

In Sebastian Junger’s book, “The Perfect Storm,” he accomplished the virtuoso feat of making the science behind the weather enjoyable reading for the laymen. What Hollywood depicted as one big storm, Junger turned into a fascinating character study of wind and weather.

To The Editor:

This letter is for some of our friends who pointed out that the caption under our daughter’s wedding announcement photo (Lincoln County News, Dec. 18) noted three names, but only two people were pictured. (“Mr. & Mrs. LeBlanc and Hannah MacKenzie”).

To the Editor:

At the Dec. 18 [Waldoboro] selectmen’s board meeting, I heard something that stunned me. The town is currently paying $1300 a month per employee for family healthcare coverage. That’s $15,600 a year – the equivalent of the entire year’s wages of someone earning $8 an hour!