If we are to throw out compassion, dodge moral responsibility and forget that one in four families includes someone with a mental illness, then let's at least get our understanding of the financial issues correct.

Mr. Knight indicts the high cost of insurance coverage for mental illnesses, but forgets that far more expensive, both to employers and to the taxpayer at large, is the cost of taking care of the fallout when someone with a mental illness isn't treated. For many mental illnesses, drugs combined with therapy are effective in a high percentage of cases. Medicine and therapy are far cheaper than jails (where more than half of the incarcerated are mentally ill), cheaper than paying for services for the homeless (a high percentage of whom are mentally ill), cheaper than paying for expensive emergency-room visits (where the mentally ill usually end up when their untreated illnesses get out of hand) and cheaper than employee absenteeism (due to turnover and on-the-job problems that can occur when mental illness is not treated).

The treatment of mental illness on a par with other illness can be managed, just like other medical treatments can be managed, and result in earlier and cheaper treatment with enormous cost savings overall. ("An ounce of prevention ... ")

KATHY PALMQUIST

Aurora

Deserving compassion

Mr. Knight says not everyone is mentally ill and that President Bush's proposed mandate for insurance coverage for the mentally ill "requires those who are not mentally ill to pay - for treating the mentally ill."

Mr. Knight does not usually exhibit such convoluted thinking. Does he believe we should insure only those who have a condition that everyone has? Does he think everyone has cancer, or multiple sclerosis, or is a victim of stroke or any of the other devastating so-called "physical" illnesses that are equally expensive to treat and yet are fully covered by insurance?

Of course not. I can only conclude that his comments are the perfect example of the stigma against mental illness that pervades our land.

I agree that the term "mental illness" should not be construed to mean the "worried well." But those who have biologically based brain disorders deserve the same care and treatment as anyone with any other physical illness - and the same compassion as well. Shame on you, Mr. Knight!

CAROL VAN LEW

Centennial

Services, compassion for autism rare in Colorado

Re: "Mom held in boy's 3-story fall; Autistic child, 7, was pushed out of window, police say," April 24 news story.

As the mother of two young children with autism, I am following the story of the Denver autistic boy who fell from a third-story window with heartbreak and anguish. I think I can imagine what the life of the mother and son have been like for the past several years.

I am an advocate for children and families affected by autism, and sadly the story is very much the same for the dozens of families I have worked with. From identification, to diagnosis, to early intervention, to special education, to social and family support, the services for children with autism in our communities are woefully inadequate or simply nonexistent.

The state of Colorado continues to look the other way when it comes to providing basic educational and social services for children and families affected by this disorder. Perhaps this tragic event will cause us to pause and question how we address autism in Colorado. Perhaps it will cause Gov. Owens to pause and reflect on his rationale for vetoing HB 1389 in the summer of 2000. This bill would have provided Medicaid coverage for intervention for children with autism similar to that provided in other states.

Perhaps it will cause people responsible for special education policy to take notice when Dr. Bernard Rimland, founder of the Autism Research Institute, makes a comment about our state. He said, "... Colorado is exceedingly negligent in providing needed services for autistic children" in a September 2001 letter to hundreds of his Colorado clients.

You see, from my perspective, children with autism in Colorado are "thrown out the window" every day. How sad that in the Denver case, the mother is the only one being charged.

MICHELLE A. LINN

Colorado Springs

Editorial dishes liberal dose of liberal neuroses

Re: "Polisophobia in the GOP," May 4 editorial.

I like to live by the motto, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." So in that vein I offer the following to my conservative friends in the Denver area:

The Doctor is in. The diagnosis is complete and the prognosis grim. The editorial board at The Denver Post is suffering from a serious but common form of liberal neurosis bordering on psychosis. It is a common development brought on by extreme ideological paranoia after years of participation in opinion Nazi practices where you will frequently see them uncontrollably blurt out forceful phrases like "No views for you" when they get agitated.

It is also common to see them develop a psychological diagnosis obsession with words like "homophobia," "xenophobia" and "polisophobia." This is a direct result of their problem with systematized delusions of conservative persecution and hallucinations of liberal grandeur. You will also notice they will be excessively and irrationally suspicious and distrustful of conservatives because they view them as their enemy.

The prognosis is very poor, so the best thing you can do is love them in spite of themselves and be sure you get a healthy dose of balanced opinion from another source. I recommend the Internet.

And, please, don't call me in the morning.

DEBI CHESSON

Stilwell, Kan.

United pact gives lowest raise to lowest-paid staff

Re: "Ground staff, United reach pay raise deal; Union urged to OK 29% hike," April 26 news story.

It is particularly interesting that the least amount tendered (29 percent) goes to the worst paid of all the workers involved in the recent pay hikes at UAL. Pilots got 37 percent and before the pay raise, were the best-paid and well deserving of it. Likewise, the mechanics got a long-overdue 37 percent.

It seems to follow some kind of a corporate strategy that the worst-paid workers, ramp and customer service, will get the worst percentage raise. Today's paper reports that the economy is growing by 5.8 percent. Recession cannot be used as an excuse for not giving these folks the same percentage raise that pilots and mechanics got.

CHUCK SMITH

Denver

Beware globalization

Re: "Business leaders, protesters head downtown," May 5 business story.

The Post quoted International Chamber of Commerce top dog Maria Livanos Cattaui: "Our experts work closely with ambassadors, negotiators and staff at the WTO; not to lobby but to represent the perspective of business."

Those of us who are concerned that transnational corporations are destroying the democratic process are called "activists," implying that attempting to participate in decisions that affect our lives is eccentric. The millions of dollars that corporations put into political campaigns are not just acts of good citizenship.

Not lobbying? Ha!

As for the wonders of globalization and big business, didn't they bring us the savings and loan debacle that cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars? The same lack of restraint has given us Enron and a secret business team making our national energy policy.

The ICC is hatching more of these great ideas this week in Denver.

TOM MOORE

Boulder

The writer is a member of the Front Range Fair Trade Coalition and the Boulder Labor Council.