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Your Views: Anglers arent the big issue on Lanier; its wake boats, PWCs
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The last few days there have been lead stories in The Times about wave wake problems on Lake Lanier. The articles very carefully outline the regulations concerning wakes and abuse on the lake. However, the articles are from apparent Lanier residents who feel the problem is a primary issue due to fishing boats.

I will beg to differ. Although fishing boats are a source of wake problems, the primary problems arise from personal watercraft riders and skiers behind the latest scourge on the lake, wake boats.

These two sources, plus the more typical ski boats and skiers, far outnumber fishing boats on the lake and far outweigh the lake courtesy problems, much less obedience to the laws concerning wakes.

Numerous calls to the DNR are a waste of time as it toes not have the manpower to enforce lake regulations, much less provide meaningful patrols on the lake. The last call I made I was simply told that they feel more good can come from patrolling down the lake as opposed to here in the Chattahoochee-Chestatee areas of Gainesville and North Hall.

At the least, I would ask The Times to publish an article on the wake boat and PWC problems on the lake and give the fishermen a fair and balanced treatment.

Randy Wewers
Gainesville

US health system needs reform, not the status quo
I can't believe Sen. Johnny Isakson said "We have the finest health care system in the world." What we have is the most expensive health care system, both in total and per capita. Our system can't even keep our few trauma centers open.

In many cities right here in Georgia, people depend on volunteer doctors and nurses because they can't afford regular care. Many go untreated until they become an emergency that requires extreme treatment and is more expensive.

We pay more and get less than those in "socialist" countries of Europe and Canada and Taiwan. In those countries care is given by private doctors in their own offices. They don't have to argue with insurance companies about what treatment to use. Only the doctor decides that.

What happens when people change jobs or lose them? That would be a tragedy here, but nothing changes in those countries because their health care is not tied to jobs. Every baby has its own health card that stays with them.

If doctors didn't have to fight insurance companies, if those companies didn't spend millions on advertising their pills or sending lobbyists into Congress, we could afford that kind of health care, too. When the last big bill went through Congress there were three — count them, three — lobbyists for each Congress member. Our representatives didn't have a chance to hear the truth.

That was the bill that prevented our government from negotiating the price of our pills, which is why we pay so much. It's also why people from Maine, Michigan and Washington make regular trips to Canada, where the government negotiates on behalf of their citizens.

Maybe doctors wouldn't order unnecessary tests if they were not afraid of being sued. But that doesn't mean we should cap claims for improper treatment. Even doctors are not perfect.

Adele Kushner
Alto