TO THE EDITOR: THE NORTHFIELD NEWS

Where does the State get the authority to regulate spending inside privately owned corporations in the first place? This, in itself is absurd... And why does the State not focus instead on using it's power to do things to support private enterprise - like create health insurance and pharmaceutical buying pools that would allow all of us all to be more competitive in all our businesses. And why do we wish to cut off the marketing arms of our local hospitals while Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Albany Medical Center lure patients away from our hospitals.

And, where will the definition of advertising expense end? Will hospitals not be allowed to have websites, or newsletters, or brochures, or flyers? Will advertising for fundraisers and hospital events also be prohibited?

The State of Vermont, in it's typical manner, searches out scapegoats to make up for its own failures. As an example: I just received my bill for 1st quarter unemployment "insurance" tax. Payroll is down and my unemployment tax is almost doubled? What happened to all the money we all invested into the fund to "insure" against this exact economic calamity? It's gone.... so the State just sends us the bill for the shortfall. Have you seen your unemployment bill yet?

ROYAL BARNARD

Publisher, The Mountain Times