Lower drug costs needn't be a secret

Regarding your article ("High prescription prices ailing you?" Dec. 2): First, you left out costco.com, which has even better prices than the companies you mentioned - about $10 per 100 pills for many generics. Second, I believe you should challenge the Blue Cross spokesman. His comment that his company encourages customers to shop around is absolutely false. I am covered by Blue Cross. All they have told me is that I have to order drugs from Express Scripts. They have never told any of us at my company that we should shop around. Most, if not all, of my co-workers would be astonished to discover that they can get drugs without insurance for a lower cost than with insurance. Blue Cross does not care what Express Scripts is charging for drugs, because Blue Cross just passes the cost on to my employer.
Norman D. Humer
Andover

I find your suggestion that Johnson Golf Management is somehow a victim of Mayor Menino's power to be quite a joke ("Menino's A-game," Nov. 30). It is well known in golfing circles that in the cases of Beverly Golf and Tennis Club and George Wright Golf Course that Johnson low-balled the bids, fleeced the operation, and allowed both facilities to fall into disrepair. I applaud the city of Boston for taking over the management of their two golf courses and only wish that Beverly could do the same.

Is it a good thing for a city to be forced to give the bid to the low-bid management company, only to have their golf course be turned into a goat pasture? Maybe your next article should review the warped bidding process and the golf course slumlords who take advantage of it.
Michael Powers
West Roxbury

When law students have the chance to step out of the classroom and apply their skills in the real world, the students and the surrounding community can both benefit ("Same-sex marriage is law clinic's focus," Dec. 4). Congratulations to Harvard Law and its new Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Law Clinic for taking that important step.

One quick point of information - although your article describes Columbia Law School's Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic as focused only on legislative and public policy advocacy projects, the clinic has, from its start in 2006, provided legal representation to clients.

A sexual orientation discrimination case in Massachusetts, briefs to the California and Connecticut Supreme Court in marriage litigation, and recent victories for gay and lesbian asylum-seekers from Jamaica and Turkmenistan, among others, are highlights of the Columbia clinic's docket.
Suzanne B. Goldberg
Director, Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic
Columbia Law School

I was saddened to read that consumer reporter Bruce Mohl is leaving the Globe after nearly 30 years ("Globe reporter named CommonWealth editor," Dec. 5). Bruce has been the voice of the consumer on issues ranging from car insurance reform to milk prices, and from ticket scalping to fictitious sale prices. He has covered my work as a consumer advocate, from one of my first public cases in 1981 exposing misleading supermarket advertising to the difficulty of choosing a good heating contractor a quarter-century later. His knowledge and institutional history of consumer protection in Massachusetts is second to none. Readers can only hope that the Globe recognizes the value of consumer stories to the public, and will quickly appoint a similarly passionate reporter to cover this important beat.

Edgar Dworsky
Founder, ConsumerWorld.org
Somerville

Letters intended for publication should include name, address, and daytime phone number. All letters subject to editing. E-mail to business@globe.com; fax to 617-929-3183; or mail to Business Letters, The Boston Globe, P.O. Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819.