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Letters to the EditorsCounty should not fluoridate water© St. Petersburg Times published January 30, 2002 Re: Fluoride controversy. I am a senior residing in Pinellas County. I have read about the dangers of fluoridated water and I am against the county's adding it to water we consume and bathe in. Ingestion of fluoride has absolutely no health benefits. The benefits are in topical application to children's teeth, which is obtained through toothpaste, rinses or mouthwashes, and then expelled, not ingested. There are even warnings on fluoride toothpaste that if ingested to contact a poison control center. Do we really want to drink this stuff?
You can always use fluoride toothpasteDon't let the St. Petersburg Times tell you that adding fluoride to your drinking water is good for you just because the dental lobby says so. Years ago many people decided they liked fluoridation because it was supposed to keep your teeth white and free of cavities. Those who stand to gain from putting it in your water instead of paying to have it trucked to a hazardous waste dump from their commercial plants are, of course, happy to dispose of it in our water. What they are not telling us is that nowadays we get too much fluoride, not too little, and it is causing a lot of children to have to go to dentists to get their brown, spotted teeth whitened or capped. That indicates what is also happening to their bones. Among professionals who know physiology, not just teeth, there is growing alarm about fluoride's being added to the drinking water, forcing all of us to drink it. Those who want it can buy fluoride toothpaste and let the rest of us have our drinking water without fluoride. Be careful what you vote for! Urge county commissioners to consider the effects of fluoridation on all of the residents of Pinellas County before making a decision on this most important matter.
Hospital bill was paid but not creditedI would like to bring to your readers' attention something that I am very concerned about. In June I was treated at the Palms of Pasadena Hospital emergency department, as well as operated on, and felt I received excellent attention. Subsequently, many bills have been paid by my insurance, United Health Care. Sometimes a portion of the bill is the patient's responsibility, and I have sent personal checks in a timely manner. A few weeks ago, I received a "Priority Notice" dated Dec. 21, saying I owed $35.01 and it had been referred to a collection agency. Luckily I have a good memory and keep good records; I had sent a check in this amount on Aug. 22. My point is this: What if my memory was not good and I was much older than I am and received this notice? Probably another check would be sent immediately and, somehow or other, I am not sure it would ever have been discovered as an error and the check returned! How did a bill that was paid in August turn up as a collection agency debt in December? Seems to me the accounting department needs an immediate housecleaning. How many of these "errors" occurred and how many, like mine, were already paid? I wonder!
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