As representatives of a nonpartisan governmental advisory board for Sullivan County Public Health Services, we are writing in support of the bipartisan legislation to expand the State’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that was vetoed on October 3 by President Bush.

Our advisory board is dedicated to ensuring health care for all children, and realize that another vote in the House of Representatives is likely to come during the week of October 15, in its attempt to override the President’s veto. The Senate already has enough votes, 67, to defeat the veto, so at this time we are appealing to the community to contact Congress to support the renewal of the highly successful State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Rural areas in New York State like Sullivan County are most vulnerable by the high rates of uninsured children from poor and working-class families that slip through the cracks. It is estimated that there are nine million uninsured children in our nation, and six million are presently eligible under the current SCHIP law. Supporting legislation aimed at reducing the number of uninsured children in our county is vital to protecting our nation’s most vital resource, our children. SCHIP has created real and lasting benefits in health and prevention. Enacting strong legislation has the potential to ensure that all of our children have the health care coverage they need to grow, to develop and learn and to become healthy and productive citizens. Public opinion on this issue is unanimously in support of basic health care for every child in our nation.

The Sullivan County Public Health Advisory Board joins the hundreds of national, state, and local organizations throughout the country, including groups representing children, faith communities, seniors, mayors, and unions who are in support of a bipartisan solution that would protect our nation’s most vulnerable children.

Sandy Cuellar Oxford; Alan Fried, MD; Alan Greenbaum, MD; Herman Goldfarb, MD; Sonja Hedlund; Kathy O’Mara, RN; Glenn Pontier; Gladys Walker and Veronica Uss

I am a member of the Class of 2007 at Delaware Valley High School (DV) in Matamoras, PA. I look back on my years at DV with fondness and passion for the past. Today, I am attending La Salle University in Philadelphia. I am majoring in history and secondary education, a decision that was inspired by many teachers at DV. I am in the honors program and recently achieved AP scholar status. While at DV, I was a member of the volleyball team, the Mock Trial team, and the Model United Nations team. I was an active volunteer in the community and a member of the National Honor Society. All of the organizations helped me to learn vital skills that I use today.

I believe that all of my peers need to have the same opportunities I did, if not more.

It’s a shame that three candidates threaten the education and enjoyment of my peers. I fully support Casey, Schor, Colletta and Wroblewski for DV School Board. Why, you might ask? They are reliable and have a history of excellence, which is cherished in the halls of DV.

Casey, Colletta, and Wroblewski are all former school board members who have helped to gain the prestige that DV currently celebrates. With sports teams doing better every year, standardized testing scores going through the roof, and AP scholars constantly on the rise, why replace something if it already works? With a new member, Schor, coming on to the board, it will give the board a new shock without overloading the circuits.

I am appalled by the platform that Taxpayers United stands on. Trying to save you money? Since when has a bank account taken precedence over good education? Even if your main cause is to pinch that penny, who’s to say that Casey, Schor, Colletta, and Wroblewski won’t get the job done? All live in the district and wish to save money also. But they also have the interests of the students in mind, something that should be first and foremost in any school board director’s heart.

Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and supporters of a great education, I urge you to vote for Casey, Schor, Colletta, and Wroblewski. I urge you to think about the future of the students and the school. Harness your right to vote. I myself will be voting on an absentee ballot for Casey, Schor, Colletta and Wroblewski.

Regarding this Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana concert tour brouhaha, who is it after all that enables the ticket brokers to fleece the public? Answer: The Public!

Okay, so the moms and dads of everyone who would ordinarily flock to see Miley should take a deep collective breath and work up the courage to boycott every single concert on the tour. For many, that decision has already been forced upon them by virtue of economics. Hmmm, let’s see: food on the table for four months, or a ticket for Daughter to see Miley?

We also have to appeal to the people who can afford $2,500 tickets, the well-heeled among us with kids craving an in-person fix with Ms. Cyrus. To them, we say, “Rein in your wallets. Act responsibly. Do some values-building. Help change a disgraceful situation.”

All the high-priced technology that helped the brokers scoop up those tickets before the real fans had a chance won’t mean a thing if seats remain unsold. Yessir, money will talk. Power to the parents.

The people putting a spin on the “age issue” and spreading the rumor that judge Barber’s campaign is about age discrimination are misinformed. This is being done in an effort to anger voters and garner sympathy votes for Ledina. The issue is the fact that Ledina cannot serve the full 10-year term because of the New York State Law that mandates county court judges retire at age 70. Barber can serve the full ten-year term without interruption and Burton Ledina can only serve three.

Judge Barber’s campaign is about her extensive experience and the fact that her opponent cannot serve the full term. Why should we take the risk of a Governor’s appointee or pay for an off-year election? Why should voters allow him to serve only a few years of the 10-year term? One is not entitled to the job simply because he is the incumbent. You would not pick up a book, if you could only read one chapter. The relevant questions for the people to ask themselves in November are, “will the candidate be there for the full term of office and are they qualified to serve?” The only candidate who can say “yes” to both of those questions is Judge Barber.

Ledina seeking this partial term should outrage Republicans as well. It takes away the right of a legitimate Republican candidate to run, one who could serve the full term of office.

So what is the real reason to run for a position you cannot complete? Not only did Ledina shut out qualified Republican candidates, but the Sullivan County back-room political shenanigans are happening again. Which political crony has already been hand picked to complete the term? It’s time for a change! Let’s elect someone well qualified and able to complete the full 10-year term.

Pat Egan

I have known Judge Burton Ledina for more than 40 years.

I served as Trustee and Mayor of the Village of Monticello from 1967 to 1974. In that capacity, I had the opportunity to be aware of the function of the Village Justice Court. Early on in his political career, Burt demonstrated that he had a keen knowledge of judicial law. He was even-tempered and possessed the judicial temperament that the position required and that the people who appeared before him deserved.

In 1974, I was elected Town of Thompson Supervisor and a member of the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors. Judge Ledina was then Town Justice of the Town of Thompson. Judge Ledina once again brought to the town court the same work ethic and judicial temperament that I saw when he was village justice.

For more than 25 years, I had the privilege to know Judge Ledina as village justice, Town Justice and Sullivan County Court Judge and Surrogate. Judge Ledina is a person who truly cares about the people of Sullivan County. Judge Ledina is compassionate, even-tempered and brings to the people of Sullivan County a judicial system we can all be proud of. I am pleased to be able to support his re-election.