It has taken a little while for me to get used to the new N&O format. My largest problem with the new format is the movement of the Business section "behind" the local news.

Is this an editorial on the importance of business in the Triangle? I have to dig through the chicken stories (Aug. 14) to get to the important business news of the day. I usually share my breakfast with Business and Sports. Now I have to sift through Michael Phelps' tiny swimsuit article (Aug. 15) to get to anything of substance.

For years, the newspaper industry has taught us that the closer you are to the front page, the more important the news. It is disturbing to me, a subscriber for more than 18 years and a small business owner, that business is not as important as it once was to The N&O.

Is there any possibility that The N&O can switch the order of local news and business news? Or at least swap days (Business first on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) or "share" the front page of the section?

I fear that Business not getting the emphasis it once did doesn't bode well for the future of business at large in the Triangle.

Bob Poliachik

Apex

Lack of regulation lets leaders run amok

Regarding N.C. State University professor Richard L. Stroup's essay, "Why markets outperform government" (Aug. 17): Milton Friedman's economic theories set the stage for the general assault on government regulation of business begun by Ronald Reagan. Sen. Phil Gramm completed the assault on government regulation of investment banking in 1999 and the commodities market in 2000. Gramm's elimination of the Glass-Steagall Act and deregulation of the commodities markets -- coupled with the Bush administration failure to adequately fund or fully staff regulatory agencies -- set the stage for the housing bubble. While the bubble lasted, many on Wall Street received riches, and after the collapse it left Main Street with declining housing values, millions of families in foreclosure, the credit markets reeling and credit frozen.

The generation coming to power after those who lived through the Depression and World War II forgot that government must regulate our economic system to protect it from being consumed by a relatively small number of leaders who have an irresistible urge to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of society.

We must elect a new leaders who will undo the damage of the Reagan-Gramm-Bush era.

John Hammond

Pittsboro

Easy to overpay doctor's bill

Thanks for your column in Sunday's paper on paying the doctor ("Time to pay the doctor -- right away," Work&Money, Aug. 17). The only item that might have been missed is that the insured are entitled to the negotiated network discount that is agreed on between the carrier and the doctor. In some circumstances, the doctor will not know that price and the insured should wait for the claim to be filed and "re-priced" by the network.

Chris M. Shoffner

Managing Partner, White Bear Group

Raleigh

Why should company profit be guaranteed?

Regarding the story about Duke Energy CEO James Rogers defending his company's controversial Save-a-Watt energy efficiency plan ("CEO defends Duke plan to save energy," Business story, Aug. 19): What I don't understand in all of this is why a Fortune 500 company such as Duke (and its shareholders) should be guaranteed a profit at all. The company is holding the public hostage by saying it won't be efficient unless a ransom is paid in the amount specified.

Would you please include in your coverage why Duke or any for-profit company should be allowed to demand a profit in a scheme such as this?

R. Ivey

Shelby

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.