And one could argue that a high quality of patient care also translates into a higher quality of life, making it easier to recruit and attract workers and businesses.

Because the rest of the country is doing pretty well, the people here who lose their jobs often may discover that the best opportunities for employment are in another part of the country, which isn't good for us in the long term.

Rochester has long been thought of as a manufacturing town. But it's not blue-collar manufacturing, it's white-collar manufacturing.

We are not taking positions on these issues. Our goal is to educate, not persuade.