NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — The letter by Zack Blake (“Fluoridation is problematic,” Feb. 5) was interesting.
In the 1950s I was in technical charge of the water to a small town. There was a suggestion that the water be fluoridated. My reaction was to find out about the results.
I was recruiting engineers and chemists at a west Texas university. There came to my conference room an attractive young lady chemist. When she spoke, she showed a set of brown mottled teeth. I hired her and in 30 days she married one of our engineers.
A search of the area showed that children born and brought up south and west of Amarillo, Texas, had mottled teeth. The fluoride in the water was in the range of 2.0 parts per million.
The area where I served was north and east of Amarillo. The fluoride here was about 0.75 partsper million - near perfect. It is near criminal to add fluoride to drinking water which already has plenty.
Before adding fluoride to drinking water, we must find how much is already there. The range should be from 0.7 parts per million to 1.5 parts per million.
When we moved to the Texas panhandle, our children were 5, 6 and 8 years old. My son, age 6 at the start, is now in his 70s and has never had a decayed tooth.
The girl, 5, had beautiful teeth until she was 62. The 8-year-old girl in her 70s has had good teeth. I am 97 and have my own teeth, but with the fine work of a good dentist.
My conclusion is we should know all the facts and adjust the fluoride in our drinking water to the proper level for our children’s dental health.
CLYDE MATHIS / Huntsville
WHAT WILL WE CUT?
I read in the Feb. 17 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the Arkansas House of Representatives voted to cut taxes in three different bills. The bills would reduce the budget by $44 million.
In my budget at home when my income drops, I have to cut spending. I may stop going out to eat, play less golf, cancel plans to visit Arkansas state parks and definitely shop less often for clothing.
What spending cuts are being proposed so the income and expenses balance each other? What is Arkansas going to stop spending money on? Foster children?
Education? Jobs? Law enforcement?
I’d like to see the whole picture before I support the proposed tax cuts.
ANDRA ATTEBERRY / Bella Vista
Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/23/2011