letters to the editorLife lessons from Bobi, the world's oldest dog who passed away recently | Letters to the Editor

Lesson in passing | Oct. 23

I just read that Bobi, the world's oldest dog, died last week in Portugal at the age of 31. I think his long life can teach us some good lessons. The owner told the news story that Bobi lived his entire life on family property. He had roots. He was a security guard and a family pet, so he had a job. He worked for''this job all his life - no 25 years and a golden collar for him. He was never on a leash. He ran where and when he wanted to, as all dogs should do. He ate the same things as his family, although his food was soaked in water to remove all the spices. So, simplicity is a good thing. And he was loved by everyone for 31 years and 165 days.

Wage and size.

New College salary increase for President Corcoran could be as high as $300,000 a year | Oct. 20

Has University of Florida Board Chairman Brian Lamb lost his sense of proportion in agreeing to such unreasonable salaries? New College President Richard Corcoran's proposed salary is more than double that of his predecessor and takes''s second place behind the president of the University of Florida. This is especially unacceptable given that New College is a small liberal arts college with barely 700 students. I urge Lamb to use his position to speak out against Corcoran's excessive salary demands. This is a matter of principle and fiscal responsibility.

Health care for all

Federal Health Care Improvement | October 24

It's great to see doctors and nurses providing health care to patients on our streets. Several states - California, Hawaii and Pennsylvania - have begun to provide care to homeless people who have long been ignored. The average life expectancy of homeless people is only 48 years, so "street medicine" should''to make a significant contribution to helping our 600,000 homeless citizens. The U.S. remains the only developed industrialized nation without a comprehensive national health insurance system. Even the passage of the American Health Care Act, which was passed by a small majority after a failed first attempt, offers a glimpse of how difficult it is to reach a consensus on health coverage in the United States. Hopefully, this program will be the starting point to universal health care for all citizens in the future.