The article about the physician shortage and health care (TNT, 7-30) hit home in this household.

Early this month, I was very ill and transported to a Tacoma hospital. I was there for more than 10 hours. Every room was full, and on that night, the hospital was a trauma center. There was one doctor running around treating gunshot wounds, car accident victims, several dying patients, along with an assortment of patients with various other illnesses.

Staff was stretched to the limits with sick people pouring through the doors. The care was marginal, the doctor was stressed out beyond …

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I voted for Mike Lonergan for Pierce County assessor-treasurer because I am confident he will do an outstanding job. This office has been in a turmoil for several years because of poor judgment and leadership ability. We need a qualified person like Lonergan to restore order and good management to this office.

Lonergan has demonstrated leadership skills developed during 12 years as executive director of the Tacoma Rescue Mission; this will put him in good stead to manage the important office of county assessor-treasurer.

Lonergan has the support of elected officials in Pierce County and has received the sole, unanimous …

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A letter writer (TNT, 7-26) observes that charter schools have higher teacher turnover than do most public schools and concludes that this higher turnover makes charter schools undesirable since our children require “stability.”

The higher turnover at charter schools occurs for two reasons: Teachers who cannot teach to charter school standards can be, and generally are, released; and charter school teachers must adopt “whatever it takes” educational objective, normally requiring greater work commitment which many teachers are not up to over time.

Perhaps the best single book on the current status of educational reform in the United States is …

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Re: “Nature argues for heterosexual marriage” (letter, 7-28).

Marriage, unlike people, is not part of nature. Marriage is a word. One cannot rightfully argue that heterosexual couples are nearer to nature than a gay or lesbian couple.

Marriage is no more part of nature than it is part of religion. Religion may celebrate marriage in its own way, but bringing nature into the mix goes to the extreme to excuse one’s prejudice.

Single women by the score seek pregnancy without a mate and without procreation via sex. A majority of marriages end in divorce, and who dares define sex …

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Re: “Westboro antidote? Undead’s mockery” (Kathleen Merryman column, 7-28).

Jesus told us to treat others just as we would like to be treated. So how would the members of the Westboro Baptist Church feel if someone made a scene as they were dealing with the loss of a loved one?

Someone once observed that religion often gives God a bad name. Is this just one more example?

Metro Park’s investment in the Kandle Park swimming pool was made long ago, and during these hot days of summer seems like a wise investment when measured in the shouts and laughter of the children. But it is really nothing more than a kiddie pool.

Children could play at the Titlow pool, but because it was Olympic-sized, it was a place where serious swimmers could do laps. That the park district offers a place for children to play in water is nice, but that it has allowed such a magnificent pool to decay is shameful. Kiddie pools are transitory and …

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Re: “Charter schools not a cure-all, but a sign of health” (editorial, 7-29).

I moved here from Oregon, where I served as director of one of the state’s first charter schools. It seems that many charter school critics miss the main point: People do not all learn the same way. Our public school system is not designed to meet all students’ needs. On the other hand, preventing proven options from being available to Washington students is not just foolish, it is bordering on the criminal.

I will be the first to agree that some charter schools are not effective, …

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Re: “Don’t burden ‘rich’ small businesses” (letter, 7-28).

I disagree with the points made by the letter writer regarding “taxing the rich” if she is referring to President Obama’s desire to extend the Bush tax cuts for one more year for those earning less than $250,000.

This tax cut is on personal income and would only affect the taxes on that part of an individual’s income that was in excess of this amount. To support small business, Obama has many tax incentives in the American Jobs Act in addition to significant tax breaks already afforded them.

Major parts of …

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