LETTERS
'GBN' article motivates bid for office

The Gulf Breeze News ran a story recently on local elections in Santa Rosa County (With election nearing, some offices are unwanted - March 13, 2008).

The article focused on certain offices that had failed to generate any candidates. One of the offices discussed was that of the Blackwater Soil & Water Conservation District (BSWCD).

Many people are not familiar with this office and don't understand what it does or how it serves Santa Rosa County. These are non-partisan, non-paid positions that provide private landowners with technical expertise to reduce pollution and sedimentation of our waterways and work diligently to conserve our natural resources. BSWCD provides a vital service to Santa Rosa citizens by protecting our environment and ensuring the quality of life that we all enjoy. As an Environmental Scientist, I have worked closely with the BSWCD through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Your story helped me understand that is it 'we the people' that make Santa Rosa great and that running for elected office is something that citizens of other countries can only dream about.

For this reason, I have decided to file as a candidate for the Blackwater Soil & Water Conservation District to serve the community that I love. I look forward to the challenges ahead.

Thank you, Gulf Breeze News, for providing the motivation.

Dave Robau

Gulf Breeze

At-home hair test can detect drug use

Thank you for your timely and informative May 22 news article about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse in Gulf Breeze.

As you reported, illicit and prescription drug abuse among our youth is a major concern among parents, schools, communities and governments, not just in Gulf Breeze but across the country. Individuals ages 14-25 have the highest rates of lifetime use of prescription/illegal drugs, and the rates are increasing.

In recent studies, 7.9 percent of secondary students reported they had tried cocaine or crack, and 3.2 percent reported using these substances in the month before the survey. One in five teenagers, about 4.5 million, have taken prescription painkillers like OxyCodin or Vicodin to get high.

Confirm Biosciences based in California is putting the control back in parents' hands. With the new HairConfirm Prescription product, a new athome package allows parents to take a hair sample from their kids and find out within 48 hours whether their kids are drug-free (and prescriptionfree). It can detect drug use as well as usage frequency for up to 90 days. It is also the first offering of its kind to provide a detailed report of the amount of each chemical detected as well as results indicating the ranges typically found in recreational, daily/weekend and constant users. The 12-panel HairConfirm Prescription test can also detect prescription drugs such as OxyContin and Vicodin.

HairConfirm is now available nationwide via CVS.com and amazon.com, and we are currently in final stages of getting it into Walgreens.

Janet Russell

Confirm BioSciences

San Diego, Calif.

Uninsured people should see help

Last week, I signed several important pieces of health care legislation.

Senate Bill 2534 will provide affordable health insurance options to Florida's 3.8 million uninsured individuals.

Currently, one in five Floridians goes to bed at night worried about how to pay for medical care. Now, because of the great work of the Florida Legislature this year, Floridians will have options that will go a long way toward freeing them from worry about health care.

Floridians ages 19 to 64 who have not had coverage for at least six months will qualify for the Cover Florida plan. Coverage will cost about $150 per month, and benefits will include regular medical checkups. The plan is designed to focus on primary and preventive care to discourage unnecessary and costly visits to the emergency room.

Available as early as January 2009, benefit plans will include coverage for preventive services, screenings, office visits, outpatient and inpatient surgery, urgent care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, and diabetic supplies.

Additionally, the legislation provides opportunity for insurers, doctors and other medical providers to offer medical care through an open, transparent "marketplace." The marketplace will provide Floridians other options to meet their medical needs.

By negotiating with health insurers - and allowing them to compete for our business - the people of Florida will be the winners. Families and individuals who have sacrificed health insurance in exchange for college tuition or buying a home will now have hope.

The time has come to do what is right. We live in the most prosperous nation, but to think that nearly 4 million Floridians go to sleep without health coverage is unconscionable.

Thanks again to our great Legislature, we will negotiate with insurance companies to provide access to health care. This simple approach will provide coverage, but more importantly it will provide peace of mind.

Charlie Crist

Governor

State of Florida

Chamber pleased with coverage

Thank you so much for the wonderful coverage of recent Gulf Breeze Chamber events including Pet Fest 2008 and Out-Of-The-Box lunch seminar series.

We have so many people who serve on the event and business committees here at the Chamber, and several called or stopped by to comment on the great photos.

They get really excited when they see our events, seminars, etc., in the Gulf Breeze News!

Meg Peltier Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce

Have an opinion that needs to be shared with the Gulf Breeze community? Let your voice be heard by sending your letter, along with your full name, address and telephone number to:

news@gulfbreezenews.com