So, is the God-given

American right to sue all there is to the Patients' Bill of Rights?

Tried

Coke for these problems?

MURPHY

Laugh Lines

Being a true Southerner

means you have two beverage choices: ice tea or Coca-Cola. In this fast-paced,

wait-for-nothing world, the former is going the way of the Crockpot

and the latter is all prepackaged, drive-through satisfaction.

Patients'

Bill of Rights, energy bill pass in the House

By

MAC COLLINS

3rd District U.S. Congress

Patient's

Bill of Rights

The passage late

Thursday night of the Patients' Bill of Rights marks a victory of common

sense. Recent negotiations between the Congress and President Bush yielded

a new version which includes language that protects small businesses

from legal liability for the simple act of providing workers with health

plans as part of the employees' benefit package.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Power

plant location not all bad, not all good

This is in response

to [Fayette County Commission Chairman Greg] Dunn's letter about the

proposed power plant. I understand the issues residents have against

the proposed plant, but I also understand the power plant's side as

well. The main points he seems to want to focus on are the pollution

and location of the plant.

Power

plant should be moved to more appropriate location

I am very concerned

with the preservation of our environment and the reasons, bucolic scenery,

aesthetic appeal, etc., which we were drawn to Fayette County. Please

do what you can to move this project to a more appropriate area.

Wellman:

We must have a return to civility in PTC political discussions

School will be starting

this week, and we find ourselves about 13 weeks from the November election.

There has not been a lot of talk about the candidates and issues yet,

but I am sure it will heat up in the coming weeks as the field of candidates

becomes known and the choices narrow. I wanted to take the opportunity

that The Citizen offers in these pages to lay out one of the larger

issues you should think about as the election nears.

Let

the sunshine in on redistricting sessions

I am appalled by

the lack of fair and open discussion, review and debate on the redistricting

issue supposedly being considered in the Special Session of the Georgia

General Assembly.

Hamrick

can't get facts straight about Revolution

Dave Hamrick's latest

dalliance with waste matter should be included in a Dr. Doolittle remake.

As a literary "Push Me, Pull You," from the beginning it's

difficult to tell where he's going.

Thanks,

Amy Riley; we'll miss you . . .

Like most of your

readers, I was disappointed to read Amy Riley's column in last week's

Citizen. My disappointment was not based on her opinion or evaluation

or conviction, but rather on the fact it was to be her final column.

Hecht

vote to split Fayette puts party over people

On Monday, State

Senator Greg Hecht voted for the most insane map for proposed senate

districts. The map that Hecht supported would break this county into

three separate state senate districts, largely diluting the voting power

of Fayette County.

Socialist

medicine is dangerous to your health

Re: lack of child

health care is an American shame

Spare

us doctor's ramblings

I read Gunther Rückl's

article (July 25) twice. The first time I read it I was frustrated and

angry at his anti-U.S. message. The second time I just felt pity for

the people around him who have to endure his endless negativity. Both

times I lost (no, I never received) a clear message on the deficiencies

of our U.S. healthcare system and his all-knowing specific recommendations

to improve our "greed-driven" U.S. system.

Sorry

about Dr. Rückl . . .

As a fellow immigrant

from Germany (Grand, East and West) and a man without letters, I would

like to apologize to all and sundry for the ramblings of Dr. Gunther

Rückl.

Uninsured

still face problems

I share Dr. Rückl's

concern about the 42.5 million Americans without health insurance and

thus with inadequate access to health care services. However, the "Patient's

Bill of Rights" legislation will do nothing to expand coverage

to uninsured Americans.

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