With all due respect, Ms. McClellan, I must take issue with some of your remarks, which clearly pertain to the currently-crafting health-care reform legislation in Congress (Re: “Don’t sacrifice health care for the future”, Auburn Reporter, Aug 21).

I think you actually mean, “Don’t sacrifice the future for health care.” The “R” party, protectors of the health insurance and pharmaceutical companies, has been conducting a large-scale scare campaign of blatant untruths (OK, lies) about the campaign for health-care reform.

“It will limit freedom” – Yep, the freedom of health insurance companies to drop coverage when a subscriber becomes expensively ill. Also to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. And it will put a measure of restraint on the yearly stiff premium price increases.

Actually, a well-crafted health-care reform bill should, in the long run, reduce government spending on health care by trimming superfluous, repetitive testing and helping to insure most of those now without coverage, for whatever reasons. The same people who now use emergency facilities for medical issues capable of being addressed by primary care clinics.

– John P. Brown