Health insurance for all Americans is a prominent topic in the upcoming presidential election. It is essential for voters to understand what universal health care means and, more importantly, what it does not mean.

I applaud the fine letter from the director of the Nature Conservancy’s Piedmont Program (“Water plan will spring no leaks,” The Daily Progress, June 4). 

The letter of June 8 headlined “Liberals afraid of U.S. values” (The Daily Progress) was disappointing. The author seems to feel that pre-emptive smugness is a good response to “liberal-progressives.” I’m one of those she mocks, but I think we agree more than we disagree. Here’s why:

It is difficult to judge Mr. Obama on the basis of his experience.

Re: a the letter to the editor of May 31 (“Prince William’s actions honorable,” The Daily Progress): I too “celebrate” what Prince William County has done in regard to illegal immigration. 

The May 24 “What’s Next” blurb on the front page of The Daily Progress spoke about how commuters are “getting creative to save a buck” and that, to deal with the high price of gasoline, “a small but growing number of area residents are changing their commuting habits.”

Albemarle County Super-visor David Slutzky says that “unintended consequences [may] perhaps [kill] off downtown Crozet” because rising taxes for existing businesses could drive them out (“Crozet plan moves ahead,” The Daily Progress, June 5, 2008)

In the many years that I have been an avid University of Virginia fan, I have never seen a more impressive group of gentleman than the UVa men’s tennis team.

The identity politics of the left is shooting the Democrats in the foot and is entertaining to those of us on the right who believe in a meritocracy.

I’m the liberal-progressive’s worst nightmare. I’m an American.

I took part in an amazing event in Charlottesville recently.

The Virginia Discovery Museum hosted the 18th annual Discovery Dash on May 24 at the Monticello High School track.

As a daily user of U.S. 29 North in Albemarle County, I would like to ask drivers to examine their consciences in regard to their driving habits. 

I guess I’m finally beginning to get the picture.

I was fortunate to see Pastor Harold Bare and Lori Ann Strait of Hope Community Center interviewed on the Ryal Thomas Show.  There could be much to expand upon from their comments on Hope’s care for Charlottesville’s homeless. 

I heard the other day that there are 250,000 refugees who have left Iraq, and 250,000 more who have left their neighborhoods within the country.

Most of the universal health plans, as currently being proposed on the campaign trail for president, won’t work.

This addresses the May 3 article “Big house raises big concerns” (The Daily Pro-gress), regarding the proposal by Mark and Barbara Fried to build a new home on Second Street, Charlottesville.

My sympathy goes out to Beverly Lecuyer, whose be-loved dog, Shelby, was reportedly killed by a pit bull on May 22 (“Senior’s small companion killed in pit bull attack,” The Daily Progress, May 23).

Frankly, I find it utterly appalling that our Charlottesville government would essentially be the ones forcing the shelter to shut. Judging from The Progress’ May 26 article (“Shelter’s closure strands area homeless”), Mayor David Norris and Assistant City Manager Maurice Jones are in a tight battle to determine which of them can make the more absurd claim

Controversy that has developed over the current water plan (Ragged Mountain Reservoir expansion and pipeline) should not be surprising, as details come to light. Benefits of the plan certainly cannot be denied, but respected conservationists and economists can offer valid arguments why the plan is not the most cost-effective or least environmentally damaging option, as officials assert. A cost/benefit comparison would seem to be a draw at best.

On May 21, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the Global Warming Pollution Act of 2008 by a vote of 10-9. The measure was largely a partisan vote with the exception of the strong leadership shown by Virginia’s John Warner. 

The May 27 story “Prince William sees signs of change amid illegal-immigration crackdown” bemoans the loss of business in the area due to local authorities enforcing the law and the subsequent decrease in the local population among those living in this country illegally.

Our Citizen’s Action Project at Monticello High School delved into immigration issues and came away with a new perspective after interviewing an Hispanic family in Charlottesville. Their eye-opening stories provided us insight about how the process really works.

Jackie Lombardo

Albemarle County

I was happy to read in a Daily Progress article (“Planning complete; charter school ready for 2008,” May 21) and editorial (“New school, new approach,” may 26) that the public charter school, with an emphasis on the arts, has found a home in the Albemarle County schools. 

On May 19 The Daily Progress published an editorial titled “What defines farmland?” I must say that I agree every one of the nine paragraphs of the editorial. I’d like to simply add two things. l As a growth-area resident, I support land-use tax deferral on any parcel in a conservation easement. I do not support land-use tax de-ferral on any parcel without one. 

Upon reading the May 4 article “West Coast fishery fails again” in the Business section of The Daily Progress, I could not but be distraught — or outraged; I still haven’t decided which — that this article almost blames nature itself for the declining chinook salmon population in the Pacific Northwest. If only it was that easy. 

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors would make a serious mistake if it tampers with its existing real estate tax-deferral policy for large parcels of land. And The Daily Progress is wrong to support such tampering in its editorial “What defines farmland?” of May 19.

Choose your word: dupe, chump, sap, schnook, boob, sitting duck, dummy or fool. Any of these applies to all of us in the United States. Since 9/11 we have spent as much as $5 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the aftermath. That’s $5 trillion! We were duped into believing that this cost was necessary to protect us from “the terrorists.”