It is my contention that if you can afford to shop at Whole Foods, you do not need food stamps. I have been in this high-end store and it is wonderful. My husband and I enjoy a decent income, and we cannot afford to shop there. While there, I enjoyed looking but purchased only a few specialty items that are difficult to find elsewhere. When I read that the store is now accepting food stamps ("Grocery Bills," Dec. 4) I thought it was a joke.

I am appalled that people accepting food stamps are allowed to buy anything they want. I see people purchase chips, pop, snacks, etc. I think food stamps should be providing high-nutrition items only. If the government truly wanted to quell obesity and diabetes, it would revise this program. It would be better if it were more like the WIC program, which provides vouchers for pregnant women and women with children under five. They are allowed to buy only items listed on their vouchers, i.e., milk, whole-grain low-sugar cereals, formula, cheese and fruit juices.

The FDA could identify high-nutrient foods and issue a stamp or code number for them and these would be the only items that could be purchased with food stamps. They could follow their own guidelines and encourage people to buy more whole grains and beans and limit their purchase of meat.

The government also should require classes for food stamp recipients. They could teach the basics of nutrition and cooking from scratch. They could easily issue menus and recipes for feeding a family based on the approved foods and their budget.

Regarding "Natural Gas Locked in the Marcellus Shale has Companies Rushing to Cash in on Possibilities," (Dec. 6), I am encouraged by the possibilities that a newfound abundance of natural gas means for the U.S. and Pennsylvania -- particularly the opportunities presented by the Marcellus Shale. This American resource can create jobs, boost our energy security and reduce carbon emissions.

The natural gas industry provided Pennsylvania with nearly 53,000 jobs last year. And newfound supplies in the Marcellus Shale will translate into thousands more jobs in the near future. In fact, according to a recent Penn State study, the Marcellus Shale is expected to create 98,000 jobs in the state by 2010, while generating $800 million in state and local tax revenues.

In the power sector, which is responsible for more than 30 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, natural gas -- which is 50 percent cleaner than coal -- can serve as a reliable source of energy. On the transportation side, natural gas is up to 30 percent cleaner than gasoline or diesel.

In the nation's Capitol, lawmakers continue to debate ways to reduce emissions, create jobs and make us more energy independent. I strongly believe that they should look at what's happening in Pennsylvania and other states and take advantage of the economic and environmental benefits of clean, abundant, American natural gas.

"Noncompete clauses finding challengers," (Dec. 13) is very short-sighted and lacking for a number of reasons.

The original concept of non-compete clauses was to prevent real trade secrets from crossing over to the enemy/competitor. This concept has been perverted by the rich to include the kitchen sink in regards to unreasonable and unrealistic far-reaching clauses towards people who make barely above minimum wage AND is used to not only discriminate against people but to silence those who cannot afford $25,000 or more in attorney's fees to fight millionaire employers.

Those individuals who spend that kind of money get to come before a "luck of the draw" judge who has no clear guidelines from state law as to how to properly handle such cases -- the judges simply want the case closed. In other words, there is far too much going against the little people. The state government has contributed to the lunacy by not paying attention to the case loads of judges or the frivolous and ridiculous lawsuits that certain employers perpetrate on a regular basis to thoroughly intimidate employees into blind submission.

If you knew the reality, you'd shake your head in amazement at what really goes on and could come up with an impression of how wrong it is in a "civilized" society -- especially in low-end professions making less than $30,000 a year or to those older employees.

As to the paragraph regarding empathy -- there is no such thing in the real world -- at least not for the average hard-working honest employee.

Many Americans with so called "clunkers" have considered the purchase of a new car, but the cost in today's economic climate may be prohibitive. The Engine Repower Council suggests that keeping your current vehicle running efficiently is a sensible alternative that can save big money in the long run.

Edmonds.com reports that the average car loan payment is $479 per month over a four-year period. For the cost of an average downpayment on a new car or truck, you can repower your vehicle's worn out engine with a remanufactured/rebuilt engine.

In addition to its financial benefits, remanufactured/rebuilt engines also save the tremendous amount of energy used in processing discarded engines and vehicles. It also saves an incredible amount of raw materials that would have been used in building a new engine.

To learn more about the benefits of installing a remanufactured/rebuilt engine, visit the Engine Repower Council's Web site at www.enginerepower.org.

"Money Q&A" and "Company Town" are featured exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.