LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I started in the insurance business in 1972 with Mutual of Omaha.

I sold Life, Disability and health insurance for over 35 years.

The health insurance industry gradually caused its own problems over the years due to competitive pressures, i.e. competition; Mainly in the area of major medical coverage also known as catastrophic coverage.

Health policies started off with a 25,000 major-medical; then maybe another company would up their coverage to 35,000; then 45,000 ? 50, 000 and on and on up to a million over the years. The company with higher and better benefits could sell more policies.

What stayed the same were options like your deductibles and maternity coverage. If you wanted maternity you paid for it! If you wanted to lower your policy cost you might take a higher deductible. There were not options for contraception.

There were conditions regarding pre-existing conditions.

Have you ever noticed at many used car lots, a sticker on the rear door glass of some cars that say "as is?"

Would you buy that car without knowing what pre-existing mechanical issues that car may have?

Some people think the insurance company should just buy that car as is and live with the mechanical and safety issues.

The letter to the editor in [the Forsyth County News] published [Sunday, July 23] assumes that Obamacare can be fixed. It can't. The Democrats wrote it so it could not be fixed.

The right path is to get the government out of our lives, including health insurance and allow health insurance purchases across state lines as a start.

During a seminar some years ago, President Gerald Ford made this statement and I am paraphrasing:

The more free stuff the government gives you the more they can take away from you. Think about that!

Uncle Sugar is the proverbial loan shark you used to hear about.

Many times, the people that borrowed money from a loan shark and did not pay it back with substantial interest in a timely fashion were not happy with the results.

Anthony Gulla Cumming

The Sunday paper had a small article about Sawnee EMC getting major National recognition as an EMC power provider. I assume relatively few readers read this article and even fewer recognized and appreciated what Sawnee provides to our community. Most of us "assume" the lights must come on, the TV must come on, the computer must come on, the air-conditioner must come on, etc. whenever we flip a switch or push a button. And, we get pretty upset when that does not happen. It happens because the electric utility industry recognizes its responsibility to make it happen. No one does this better than Sawnee EMC.

They have extremely competitive rates. They use technology and well-planned maintenance like tree trimming. keeping their people well trained, and communicating ideas and suggestions to all their customers on ways to save money with load management and efficient appliances. Most EMC's in Georgia as well as Georgia Power all do a great job in managing cost and providing excellent service - but no one does it any better than Sawnee as they go out of their way to "be the best." We are fortunate to have them in our service area.

Frank Frederick Gainesville

Every American should be alarmed by President Trump's proposed budget cut of 2.4 percent for the U.S. Coast Guard. That service helps protect our coastal borders from drug smugglers, human traffickers, illegal immigrants and terrorists. It also conducts law enforcement, intelligence and search-and-rescue operations. These needs have not diminished, and our Coast Guard needs new aircraft and vessels to perform its mission. It provides our nation's coastal border wall, and Americans have always paid for it. What other programs or tax breaks are worth reducing that protection?

Tony Gardner Cumming