Although not good news, I was glad to see the Gazette’s front page coverage concerning the impact that health insurance costs are having on municipalities and their school districts [”‘Budget buster:’ Spiking health insurance costs burdening local municipal budgets,” March 21].

While much has been written about the many negative impacts of our system of health coverage, such as exorbitant deductibles, denial of medically necessary treatment, etc., less attention has been given to the difficulties imposed on city and town budgets. Costs become increasingly unsustainable and take away money that could be spent on actual education, road repairs, and all the other services we rely on our municipalities to provide.

Our state representative and senator are working to address this issue and need our support in doing so.

Mark S. Augarten

Northampton