How sadly ironic that on the front page of the Nov. 12 Bangor Daily News is a report on proposed cuts by DHHS in Medicaid, which include social services and psychology services for adults, while on the OpEd page a column by Sen. Edward Kennedy lauds the passage of mental health parity after a decade of trying.

When will we realize that one can’t have good physical health without good mental health? Or that without preventive and supportive services, society will face more expensive costs in hospitalization or institutionalization?

Please continue careful reporting of the specifics of the proposed cuts and their impact on Maine residents. Newspapers and TV news predominantly cover accounts of accidents, fires, and crime, rather than the policy and program shifts that so seriously affect us all.

Pamela Taylor

Bangor