Fewer cavities prove value of fluoride
I can personally testify to the value of fluoridated water. My brother and I were born in DeKalb County, which began fluoridation in 1954, 15 years before the City of Atlanta did. As a result, we had fluoride when our classmates who were born in Atlanta did not. We each had one cavity growing up. We noticed in high school that they had significantly more.
Forward-thinking leaders in Georgia mandated fluoridated water by 1969. Most Georgia residents likely don’t even think about fluoride, and despite 55 years of consumption, we certainly don’t suffer adverse reactions to it. RFK, Jr. is adopting another conspiracy theory over research and science.
CAROLINE KNIGHT, ATLANTA
Trump obsesses, and 401(k) plummets
For many years, I have looked forward to reading the AJC every morning with my coffee. That anticipated joy has been replaced by pure dread as a result of the Trump administration’s unhinged policies.
Seniors and working folks are watching their retirement accounts and 401(k) savings cut drastically due to Trump’s obsession with tariffs and his overall vindictiveness. I cringe every morning now when reading the paper.
Wake up America! This is unhealthy, unacceptable, and very sad.
GERALD GOODKIND, CUMMING
DOGE wants to save taxpayer money
It is hard to understand that anyone would be against DOGE. Its purpose is to save taxpayer money by identifying and removing fraud and waste from the government.
It is even harder to understand how some folks demonize the person working for free who is trying to identify fraud and waste. Democrats in Congress lead the way in supporting the fraud and waste rather than supporting removing it.
WAYNE MORRIS, MARIETTA
Lost federal services also costly
Political leaders talk about the jobs they are bringing to Georgia but are very quiet about the thousands of jobs lost in a few weeks at the CDC, VA, and other federal service agencies. I only hear about supporting weeding out fraud and inefficiency.
Who isn’t for weeding out fraud and inefficiency? But these are just words. They do not show us the fraud and inefficiency that need to be weeded. I hear about savings from salaries not paid, but I do not hear about the cost of services lost. Is someone in DC, behind closed doors, reviewing the titles of jobs or programs and deciding on cuts without knowing or caring what the programs or jobs do? If so, this is a lazy and dangerous way to serve the public.
We need our leaders to find courage, stand up for threatened public service agencies, fight real fraud and real inefficiency, and not hide behind words.
LARRY J. ANDERSON, ATLANTA
Now is not the time to decrease vaccine funding
We recently heard about the withdrawal of U.S. funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, an organization working to expand global vaccine access to protect us from disease, both abroad and here in Atlanta, the public health capital of the world
Each year, the U.S. spends less than 0.1% of the federal budget on global health. But this small portion has incredible returns; each dollar invested in vaccines yields at least $50 in savings from healthcare costs and lost wages.
The 2019 U.S. measles outbreak cost $3.4 million. Now, just three months into 2025, U.S. measles cases are nearly double that of 2019, so the cost will undoubtedly be higher.
Each of us is a single plane ride, grocery store run, or NCAA basketball game away from encountering diseases like measles. Now is not the time to cut funding for organizations like Gavi—it will only cost more in the long run.
STACY B. BUCHANAN, SHOT@LIFE VACCINE ADVOCATE
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