All John A. Defrancisco's Content

Dear Editor: I read with great interest the article, “Star Tax Relief Loses More of Its Luster” in the October 5, 2009 issue of your paper, which discussed the Legislature’s reduction of star benefits and the elimination of star rebate checks.  In the article it was stated that the “Legislature quietly” took these actions.  In fact, the actions were not taken by all Legislators and some Legislators were anything but quiet about it. During the public hearings, as the Republican Ranking member on the Finance Committee,  I  spoke  loudly,&nbsp

  Because prostate cancer kills so many of its victims, September has been designated Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.  It is a treatable and curable disease if caught early enough, yet every 17 minutes a husband, father, son brother, grandfather, uncle, or friend dies from this disease.  Most men are not aware that 33 percent more likely to get prostate cancer than women are to get breast cancer.  Of the almost 219,000 cases that are diagnosed this year more than 27,000 will die because they did not get an examination soon enough.