Taylor Jones: At this point in the debate, I don't care what kind of single-payer system we devise. It could be public ... or private. We could copy the British national health care system, or we could all pay premiums to a single, private, mega-insurance monopoly. We need one health insurer. No more. No less.

The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the challenge to the health care law passed in 2010. The law, President Barack Obama's signature legislative accomplishment and ticket to the history books, requires most individuals to purchase health insurance, known as the individual mandate.

Regardless of what you think about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obama Care, the delivery of healthcare in the U.S. needs a major overhaul. The focus should be on patients and on high value healthcare. That means doing what it takes to get better outcomes, better safety, better service at lower overall costs — a focus on value, not on volume.

I will be a Green Party candidate in Arizona's presidential primary. The U.S. should end its wars of aggression, eliminate foreign military aid, shut down foreign military bases, abolish weapons of mass destruction, and eliminate the CIA.

Once an individual or couple decides to seek counseling, they are often overwhelmed with the choices available. There are many factors to consider when looking for a counselor to work with you or your family, such as physical, financial and emotional considerations.

Austin Hill: Could you be on President Barack Obama's "enemies list" and not even know it? If you dare to disagree with him, you might be.

We’ve heard a lot from state and national political leaders recently about the need to reform the U.S. health-care system, and not least to extend coverage to the 47 million Americans who lack insurance.

As this is written, conventional wisdom says Mitt Romney will emerge as New Hampshire's choice. Attention shifts to see who will come in next and how close to Romney they will arrive. And due to that shift, few if any have noticed that Mitt has done it again, put his foot in mouth twice now in 24 hours.

The ongoing contract dispute between Cigna HealthCare and Catholic Healthcare West is a symptom of a bigger problem of decreasing government funding of health care, according to John Rivers, president and CEO of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.

Homeowners are well aware of the many home-related tax breaks they can claim each filing season.

“Mesa judge Markel [Mark] Chiles was issued a citation for shoplifting recently. Will another judge give him the six months in jail and $2,500 fine just to set the punishment at a level others could receive? Watch for a slap on the wrist.”

“Mesa judge Markel [Mark] Chiles was issued a citation for shoplifting recently. Will another judge give him the six months in jail and $2,500 fine just to set the punishment at a level others could receive? Watch for a slap on the wrist.”

The call for universal health care in Arizona has gone mainstream. The venerable Arizona Town Hall, meeting last week in Prescott, recommended a statewide program to ensure everyone in the state has access to basic health care.

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., is pushing for new federal limits on malpractice lawsuits — even if those limits override patient protections in the state Constitution.

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industries charged Thursday that the state is unfairly shifting to businesses its costs of providing health care to the poor.

There was more grim news last week on the health-care front. The number of Americans lacking health insurance has increased by 5.7 percent to 43.6 million. While 15.2 percent of Americans were uninsured in 2002, 17.4 percent of Arizonans lacked coverage.

Tom Patterson: Here’s another whopper from the folks who want to bring you Obamacare: Opponents of a government takeover of health care are uninformed, un-American obstructionists who can only say “no.” They have no constructive ideas of their own.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and comments may be edited for clarity and length.

John Blundell, the English writer and biographer of Margaret Thatcher, was asked what advice the Iron Lady would have had for today’s presidential candidates. She would have been concerned with mounting debt, he said, but her first priority would have been to avoid, at all costs, a government takeover of health care. She knew that once you have a government-run system, you can never get rid of it, no matter how ruinous it is.

John Blundell, the English writer and biographer of Margaret Thatcher, was asked what advice the Iron Lady would have had for today’s presidential candidates. She would have been concerned with mounting debt, he said, but her first priority would have been to avoid, at all costs, a government takeover of health care. She knew that once you have a government-run system, you can never get rid of it, no matter how ruinous it is.

June O'Neill: At President Obama's request, Congress is rushing to produce a plan that promises both medical coverage and high-quality health care for all Americans. But nationalization of the way 250 million non-elderly Americans receive medical care should not be taken lightly.

Tom Patterson: Throughout this debate, one side talked about cost, care, rationing and the effect on the economy. To the Obama team, getting something, anything passed was the only concern. The real goal is to transform our culture permanently into a government-dominated welfare state.

TUCSON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton hammered at the need for universal health care Saturday and to elect "a president who can repair the damage of the last eight years."

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and comments may be edited for clarity and length.