As the Christmas season ends and the new year begins, I am deeply grateful for many things, not least the early diagnosis and excellent treatment I received for breast cancer in 2010.

I’m thankful for my employer-provided insurance — Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, through DirigoChoice. Dirigo’s excellent preventative care and prescription coverage, plus hospital and in-patient coverage, meant that for me, a diagnosis of cancer did not mean a prognosis of financial ruin.

Additional Photos

Gov. Baldacci signs the Dirigo Health bill on June 18, 2003, outside the Blaine House. With him are his wife, Karen Baldacci, left, and Trish Riley, director of the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance. Associated Press file

The premiums paid by our small group actually decreased slightly this year. Plus, Dirigo Health Agency recently reopened enrollment for individuals and announced that nongroup rates would not increase this month, while other insurers’ premiums are going up by double digits.

Dirigo provides coverage to children, working adults, small-business owners and small nonprofit employers (like mine) who might not otherwise be able to afford it. As a manager, I’m grateful we can offer this benefit to our hard-working employees.

Dirigo does not receive any state money from the General Fund, so there would be no budget savings if we eliminated it.

But 14,000 of us would lose our coverage, resulting in increased costs of care for everyone.

Though my family doesn’t need the subsidies Dirigo provides to help some folks pay the premiums, I’m thankful they’re available for Mainers who do.

I’m grateful I went for a mammogram last December, and that I didn’t even have to consider skipping it for financial reasons.

Because of Dirigo, many Maine families can get checkups for children, asthma treatments and chemotherapy when they’re needed, not just when they’re affordable.

In these tough times, that’s something we should all be grateful for.

The Rev. Jill Saxby

Cape Elizabeth

Visa violator fortunate to be getting green card

Regarding the article in the Press Herald Dec. 24 about Mohammad Shafiq Rahman who was held 15 weeks on visa violation charges (“Botched-bomb detainee off visa hook”).

If Mr. Rahman had renewed his visa or gotten a green card like he was supposed to, he probably wouldn’t have come under as much suspicion when linked to the Times Square bomber.

As for his employer, he should be held accountable for employing an illegal immigrant. He should keep better track of who he employs. They both know the laws and were not obeying them.

I wish Larry Adlerstein would go to New York and tell the relatives of those who died in 9/11 that he is embarrassed for our country. He is lucky that he was not charged with keeping an illegal immigrant on his payroll.

Mr. Rahman was evading the law and happened to get caught. He has nothing to complain about. If it weren’t for our laws and the people who enforce them, Mr. Adlerstein wouldn’t have the business he has.

Anthony Valente

Portland

Editorials on Gov. Baldacci show bias toward Democrats

I’ve believed for years that The Portland Press Herald carries water for the Democrats, and the Thanksgiving Day editorial supports my belief big-time.

The editorial on Nov. 25 was so far-fetched it may well have been written by someone new to the state and new on the editorial staff.

To praise Gov. John Baldacci for “opposing tax increases” and “belt-tightening and sacrifice” is ludicrous.

Thank goodness we had a state representative, Jonathan McKane, willing to set the record straight.

In his Another View column in The Portland Press Herald Dec. 4, he stated the facts of the current governor’s eight years in office (I do commend the paper for publishing his view).

As Rep. McKane said, the Baldacci years have not set Gov. Paul LePage up in a sweet position.

I believe the paper is anticipating such a LePage administration success that they’ll say most anything to put a damper on it and eke out some credit for the Democrats!

Nice try, but Maine citizens more and more are on to where the paper stands politically.

Rose Marie Russell

Westbrook

DADT repeal makes soldiers objects of social experiment

Our armed forces do not have as a mission to serve as a social experiment. If one-third of the military indicate that they would be uneasy serving alongside professed homosexuals, that was a reason to maintain the status quo.

As a veteran of the Navy Reserve, I know that when push comes to shove, there should be no distractions. Political correctness should not have been allowed to impact upon military preparedness.

John Curtis

Lenk, Switzerland,

and Kennebunk 

With the recent repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and the growing allowance of status to same sex marriages and unions, I would like the same-sex community to return the name “gays” to those of us who had it first.

I am a gay male who likes to don gay apparel and karaoke to “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever.” I like Jennifer Anniston movies, quiche and bell-bottom jeans. I see my dentist regularly and have a Starbucks gold card.

But I am not a homosexual. I like women. Always have, always will.

For years we gays have suffered taunting, insults and abuse by those who believes we were part of the same-sex community. It is time for this to stop.

I ask the same-sex people to find a new group name now that they have been given public acceptance. Of course they can’t go back to previous names, but they could come up with something new like Same Sexers or One Sexers.

Anything but gay. We had it first. We want it back.

Don Ray

Portland

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