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 The Chronicle welcomes you online! Please feel free to respond to these editorials or letters to the editor by sending your letters to the editor.

We condense letters; most, as published, won't exceed 300 words. A letter must include the writer's name and city, which will be published, and an address and telephone number for verification, which will not be published. Writers may be limited to one letter every 30 days. Open letters, letters to third parties and poetry are not considered. Letters from people living outside the Chronicle's circulation area usually are not considered.

Restore veterans' health benefits

Web posted June 13, 2000

 Have a thought? Go to the @ugusta Forums.

Editor, The Chronicle

A few days ago I happened to come across an article on the front pages of The Chronicle - ``Clinton praises Chernobyl closing.'' It stated that the infamous nuclear power plant would be shutting down 14 years after the disastrous nuclear accident. Wonderful news. If only the president were sending just praise, but, no, it seems money is involved, too - $80 million of it, to be precise: ``American aid to entomb the plant forever.''

I find this news irritating, particularly since I am a military retiree, having spent 20 years in the U.S. Army. I'm one of these people who was promised free health care for life upon retirement. Right now I don't get dental or health care. And please don't tell me about Tricare or any other plan that you have to pay into. Free means just that - no financial cost.

What bothers me is that the federal government apparently has no problem coming up with $80 million to send to Russia, but cannot seem to find the funds to honor its promises of health care to veterans. Are you listening, politicians? November is coming - and there are, I'm sure, thousands of military retirees like myself, who will be listening closely to what you say - and will probably support those candidates who seem to want to do something about restoring full health benefits to us.

John H. Roberts, Augusta