speak out use 5/4

I SAW on CBS News where they say that big oil has manipulated things so they can keep prices high. I can very easily imagine that, as well as I can imagine ABC, CBS and NBC also manipulating the news to keep their ratings up. I don't see a whole lot of difference in their thought process.

Others should help

I LIVE and own property in Cape. I pay city real estate taxes used to maintain the city streets and infrastructure. We've had increases in these taxes in recent years. Should the city raise my taxes again to repair streets used by many who pay no taxes at all in Cape, such as Illinois vehicles and out-of-town commuters? It's only fair these people help maintain streets they use and help to deteriorate.

Messy ditch

IF YOU want to see a Heartland eyesore, go to the ditch at the 1300 block of Main Street in Scott City. Hundreds of vehicles pass by that city ditch every day and see the mess with the paint and white stucco gunk poured on one side. The trash in the ditch gets deeper and deeper. You'd think the city would do something about it. They have the equipment and manpower to make it look better. They work on ditches in other areas of town, why not this one on the main drag? What say you, Scott City?

It won't change

DID ANYONE else see the news report on Channel 3? Seems like they were saying the oil companies are manipulating the price of gasoline. The government knows it, but aren't doing anything because good ol' Christian George and his buddy are in office now. And it won't change until they get out of office. If other people are gullible enough to swallow all that crap, I don't know what to think.

Go ahead and cry

I READ in Sunday's paper that taxes might be raised. The paper also said the city workers may have to work harder for the same amount of money. I don't feel sorry for them. I've been doing it for years, and so have a lot of other people. I could never get away with less work, although there's no pay raise in sight. I'm not about to quit my job. I'm lucky to have one. So let the city workers cry. I cry every time I have to pay my bills with too little money.

Safety important

I READ in Speak Out where someone was complaining about the weatherman interrupting "Oprah." Me, I like to know when there are threatening storms and tornadoes possible. What's more important, watching a stupid show like "Oprah" or saving someone's life, like an elderly lady or a 12-year-old boy? Some people nowadays seem to be living in never-neverland. If all I had to watch was "Oprah,"p I'd probably get rid of my TV.

Thanks, neighbor

AFTER THE storm Saturday night, when I went out to get our Sunday newspaper, not only did I find the newspaper but also half of our Bradford pear tree across our driveway. Our neighbor, who turned out to be a pro with a chain saw, and another neighbor who likes to work came to our rescue. The tree was cut up, stacked and out of the way in a couple of hours. Thanks a million for great favors. Neighbors like that are hard to find.

Religion and politics

I'D LIKE to express my opinion on the religious rally that was held at the Show Me Center recently with Jerry Falwell and other religious leaders. I was totally appalled. I went there to worship my God and Jesus Christ. But when I got there, those religious leaders were telling us that we should vote Republican and not Democrat because Democrats are a bunch of immoral heathens. I looked around the room and saw several people shaking their heads, and overheard several whispered conversations that this is not a time or place to play partisan politics. We went there to worship and enhance our spiritual faith and relationship with Christ. People better wake up and do what Jesus Christ wants us to do: love everybody. Quit bringing this radical chastisement of those who aren't Republican.

Be thankful

DID THE dummies fussing about Bob Reeves breaking into their programs with weather reports ever think maybe he saved someone's life by warning them? If you've never been in a tornado, be thankful. But it's much more important for people to get these weather warnings than to watch Oprah Winfrey.

Rich vs. poor

I'D LIKE to comment on two recent idiotic Speak Out comments. One was that rich people can't get wealthy off of the poor because poor people don't have any money. That's not what poor means. It means you don't have a lot of money. If every poor person sent me one dollar, I'd be very rich indeed. The second statement was an attempted analogy between taking 10 years to drill for oil and taking two days to drill for water. What possible correlation is there between receiving a benefit in two days and receiving a benefit in 10 years?

Good old days

I TOO remember the good old days of shopping at the Woolworth's in Cape Girardeau. My mother used to take us kids shopping on Saturday. If we were good and behaved ourselves, we'd each get a delicious ice cream sandwich. I believe they cost a nickel each. Those were truly the good old days.

Not too concerned

IT SEEMS very clear that our Jackson city leaders are not concerned about the people on 34 and 72 highway. They're only worried about the east Main extension. They are just letting MoDOT do what they want on the west side of town so they can have MoDOT's cooperation on the east side. It's very upsetting to me that they didn't stand up for the people on this highway.

Lying thieves

I HAD an interesting question posed to me yesterday. The question was, who do I trust most, Democrats or the oil companies? Hmmm ... oil companies, any day of the week. I think Democrats are lying thieves.

Le Pen not right-wing

IN THE newspaper this morning there was an AP story about a French politician named Le Pen. He's described as being both right-wing and a Nazi. He can be one or the other, but he can't be both. See, the Nazis were from the National Socialist German Workers Party. The Nazis were left-wing socialists. They were not right-wing. Right-wing is more like the Libertarian party. Libertarians believe in more freedom for everybody, and less taxes and less government. If this Le Pen is more like a Nazi, he's a left-wing Nazi. Come on editors, change these pieces to reflect the truth.

Set priorities

IT SEEMS to me that the Cardinals are more worried about getting a new stadium than they are about winning games.

The real feeling

I thought IT WAS LAUGHABLE THAT YOU FOLLOWED UP YOUR OPENING PARAGRAPH ON THE MAP TEST CUTS EDITORIAL BY SAYING THAT SOME EDUCATORS DISAGREE, THEN QUOTING TWO SUPERINTENDENTS, DR. STESKA AND DR. ANDERSON. THE POINT YOU'RE MISSING IS, THEY'RE NOT REALLY EDUCATORS. OUR SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE USUALLY BEEN OUT OF THE CLASSROOM FOR SO LONG THEY DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE, NOR DO THEY REALLY HAVE A CLUE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE MAP TESTS. THEY DON'T REALIZE THE STUDENTS' ATTITUDES, THEY DON'T SEE THE TEST THAT MUCH, AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY SEE IT FROM AN ADMINISTRATOR'S POINT OF VIEW. WE WASTE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME IN THE CLASSROOM PREPARING FOR A MAP TEST WHICH HAS NO VALIDITY OUTSIDE THE STATE OF MISSOURI. IT IS NOT NORM-REFERENCED NATIONALLY. NO ONE LOOKS AT IT. IT'S ONLY USED BY THE STATE TO CONTROL INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TAKE AWAY THEIR AUTONOMY. IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS GET THE CONTROL BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.