Ohioans should be willing to pay more for services

Ohioans should be willing to pay more for services
EDITOR:
These days, with wars and rumors of wars around the world and with Americans naturally preoccupied with the threat of terrorism and our nation's response to it, it seems that Ohioans have paid scant attention to the state budget crisis.
Our state legislature continues to act irresponsibly in the face a severe state budget crisis, by ignoring the need for more revenues at a time of threatening deficits. The legislature in Columbus is draining the state's rainy day fund, taking money away from the school construction trust fund and cutting support for higher education.
In the meantime, Ohio ranks 45th in support for higher education, and for a decade or more the legislature has ignored the need to fund our primary and secondary schools more equitably and adequately.
My wife and I are employed as a teacher and a minister, respectively, so our income is not high, but our state income tax for 2001 equaled $2,115, which is a tiny amount, about one-third of the amount we contributed to charity.
From the taxes we pay, Ohio supports a system of excellent parks, the State Highway Patrol, numerous universities with "State" in their name (for example Ohio State and Youngstown State), a huge prison system for public safety and many other services we Ohioans take for granted.
I believe Ohioans would be willing to pay more taxes to support the kind of state-provided services we enjoy, and I think it is irresponsible for the legislature in Columbus to ignore the state's need for additional revenues at a time when the budget is in crisis.
STEVEN K. BROWN
Columbiana
Support needed for bills that would fight cancer
EDITOR:
Colorectal cancer claims the lives of 56,600 Americans every year and 2,700 Ohioans. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American men and women. Tragically, many of these people did not have to die -- when colorectal cancer is diagnosed early, more than 90 percent of patients survive for five years or more. Once the disease has metastasized, 92 percent of patients die within five years. Yet, only 37 percent of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed while the disease is still in the early, localized stage.
Many in the public health community have been working on longstanding efforts to educate both the public and health care providers about the importance of colorectal cancer screening. However, increasing awareness can only get us so far -- people must also have access to the full range of colorectal cancer screening tools. Sens. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., have introduced legislation, the "Eliminate Colorectal Cancer Act" (S.710), which would ensure that all private health insurers cover these critical screening tools.
Additionally, thanks to a broad bipartisan effort in Congress, Medicare beneficiaries already have access to these same colorectal cancer-screening tools. However, many Americans who are not yet eligible for Medicare, particularly those in managed care plans, are not receiving coverage for these life saving tools.
It is expected that S.710 will be considered in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee shortly. As a constituent and a colorectal cancer survivor, I look to Sen. DeWine -- a member of the Senate HELP Committee -- to both support this bill and to see the intent of this legislation remains intact so that more Ohioans have assurances of coverage for these life saving colorectal cancer screening tools.
MICHELE SCHROMOFSKY
Boardman