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Lincoln Daily News
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Lincoln, IL 62656
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Dear Editor:
I want to publicly thank Police Chief
Rich Montcalm for all of his hard work and dedication to the Healthy
Communities Partnership and the city of Lincoln. I have worked with
Rich for six years, and in that time I have learned how committed
and dedicated he is to the people he serves.
The Healthy Communities Partnership is
losing an important element of our successful accomplishments. For
the past seven years, Rich has been a member of the Alcohol, Tobacco
and Other Drugs Task Force, with the last two as a co-chair. He has
been a member of the Senior Issues and Domestic Abuse and Violence
Task Forces, and he has worked with the Healthy Families Task Force
on educating the community about the Safe Haven Law.
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column in this letter]
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While serving on these task forces,
Rich has assisted the Healthy Communities Partnership in striving
toward our mission to
protect, maintain and improve the health and quality of life of all
residents of Lincoln and Logan County.
Each of the task forces will miss his
knowledge and expertise. I know I am going to miss him. Good luck,
Rich!
Sincerely,
Kristi Lessen
Director
Healthy Communities Partnership
(posted
8-6-04)
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To the
editor:
On July 15, 2004, the U.S. Senate voted
78-15 to approve legislation that grants the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration strong and effective authority to regulate tobacco
products. This legislation is a longtime priority of public health
advocates and presents a truly historic opportunity to protect our
children from tobacco addiction and save lives. Currently, the FDA
regulates items such as boxes of macaroni and cheese, as well as
nicotine patches and gum, but does not have the authority to
regulate tobacco products. Tobacco use is the leading preventable
cause of death in our country, killing more than 400,000 people and
costing the nation $75 billion in health care costs each year.
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column in this letter]
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In the Senate bill, FDA tobacco
authority is paired with a $12 billion buyout of tobacco farmers,
which would be paid by tobacco companies. Unfortunately, the U.S.
House of Representatives has taken a more harmful approach to
tobacco policy that does not include FDA tobacco authority and would
have taxpayers foot the bill for a $9.6 billion tobacco farmers
buyout. A conference committee will work out the differences between
the House and Senate versions when Congress reconvenes in September.
The right choice for Illinois kids,
public health and taxpayers is for our U.S. senators and
representatives to support the Senate legislation and make sure it
is included in the final bill without being weakened. Let's end
special protection for the tobacco industry and protect our kids and
our health instead.
Sincerely,
Harold P. Wimmer, CEO
American Lung Association of Illinois
Springfield
(posted
8-5-04) |
