Over the last decade my wife and I have paid upwards of $75,000 in health care premiums without once reaching our annual deductible. Recently, our provider notified us that due to rising costs they must raise our premiums by 25 percent and our deductible by nearly 40 percent. That’s insane.

Now, tea partiers and Republicans in Congress have vowed to repeal new health care legislation, while they also enjoy taxpayer-funded health coverage.

I suggest that repeal of health care should also void government-provided coverage for members of Congress and withhold it until they figure out to get us the same …

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Most people would agree that Theodore Roosevelt did more for conservation in this country than any other person then or since. He was born into a privileged family, and his conservation ethic did not come as a result of his birthright. He was fascinated with nature from the time he could walk and he constantly returned to the outdoors to re-energize his body and soul.

Along the way he came to fully understand and appreciate the essence of and foundation that nature played in our livelihood. That understanding evolved into a belief that our natural resources belonged “to the public …

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Re: “Tacoma’s ‘public-ization’” (TNT, 11-28).

This article proposes to sort out if Tacoma is trying to do too much in offering public services by comparing Tacoma’s offerings with the public services of other “similar-sized cities.”

To take just one of the article’s concerns, and one that most everyone uses, namely, “electric power,” the article fails to compare the cost to the ratepayers of public vs. private electricity.

Public electricity, and other such public services, don’t have the profit motive involved in their delivery. Hence, no profit for the capitalists and Wall Street. The other public services mentioned in the article …

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If nothing else, the Wiki leaks shed very welcome global light on the workings and real attitude of the Saudi government.

It’s time the public had a better understanding of the self-serving House of Saud. Not wanting to openly criticize a neighboring Muslim country ( Iranians are not Arabs ), they’d prefer to have the United States do their dirty work.

This obscenely wealthy family is focused on nothing but self-perpetuation. It is why they allow cruel, oppressive Wahabism to flourish in exchange for the clerics not contesting the government.

Saudi Arabia is one of the main players in the …

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Thank you for your informative article about the new Eatonville Clinic (11-4).

Not many people realize the strong medical history in Eatonville, the hub for Southeast Pierce County. The first Urgent Care facility was operated by the Bridge family including Mary Bridge, Dr. Don Nevitt and Dr. Tom Van Eaton, from whom the city gets its name, skillfully served the town for many years.

Unfortunately due to population growth and tough economic times, Eatonville has become one of the most underserved medical communities in the Northwest. United Way of Pierce County was aware of this fact and their volunteer health …

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In my opinion the Palestinians are very foolish if they allow the presently stalled peace negotiations with Israel to restart with the U.S. acting as the honest broker. The U.S. has supported Israeli flouting of the U.N. resolutions the last several years, as well as preventing the U.N. Security Council from even criticizing Israeli military aggression such as operation “Cast Lead.” The U.S. gives $3 billion of military aid to Israel each year. The U.S. and Israel seem to be friendly partners in the negotiations. Can the United States be an honest broker in these negotiations?

In order to restart …

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This fall, I received an email from the district, a letter from the superintendent, Tony Apostle. This letter was to inform me of changes that were being considered for the configuration of the grades within each school. I say considered but the tone of the letter was more definitive.

It stated that these changes were to occur starting in the Fall of 2012. It was with some surprise when I learned later that my friends who worked within the district were not aware of these purposed changes. Changes that will impact every school within the district to some degree but …

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Like hundreds of others today, I visited the Forza coffee shop in Parkland to remember and extend my heartfelt respect to the fallen four and view the memorial.

The prayerful and tender repose under solemn gray skies befitting mournful moments was abruptly disrupted upon taking notice of an officer’s name. On the memorial, it is written Mark Rennenger.

His last name is Renninger.

There is no place for sloppy and careless work on a memorial for the enormous tragedy and loss for the men and women in blue who serve and protect, for their families, our community and the state. …

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