Letters to the Editor

There is presently a great deal of discussion about the fact that the United States has reached the national debt limit set by Congress. If this situation continues and the U.S. does not pay its obligations, then Treasury bonds will no longer be risk-free, interest rates for the government and everyone else will rise, and the role of the dollar globally will be weakened, perhaps permanently. A failure to pay Social Security and Medicare benefits will loom on the horizon...

After suffering through Rep. Jason Smith's latest inflammatory and dishonest attack on reproductive rights and health ("Standing for Life" 1/24/23), there is no doubt that "pro-life" legislation is rooted in Christian fundamentalism. The opinion that life begins at conception is a belief shared exclusively by a few overly zealous Christians. As Justice John Paul Stevens correctly stated in 1989, there is no secular reason for legislative declarations that life begins at conception...

Reparation: The act or process of mending or restoring; making amends or atonement, offering expiation, extinguishing a guilt, giving satisfaction for a wrong or injury. The majority of slaves came from African victors of inter-ethnic wars between tribes who would have killed them until they found they could sell them to the slave traders. ...

As I sit here writing this letter, I am still shaken from the shooting that took place less than a block away from my apartment Friday in broad daylight. I continue to use my voice to support those like myself who have been impacted by the senseless gun violence that continues to happen in BIPOC Communities on a daily basis...

As our city leaders continue to discuss and create the 2023-2024 Operating Budget for the City of Cape Girardeau, I encourage them to seriously consider implementing the following during the process: Remain focused on what's best for the community. Continue to obligate, invest, and manage taxpayers' dollars wisely...

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent presentation before a joint session of Congress was reminiscent of the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1940 when before that body he said, "We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. ...

On Dec. 27, the Supreme Court held that a pandemic era health measure under Title 42 of the United States Code would for the time being remain in place. This law has been used as a way for border officials to quickly expel migrants without allowing for asylum applications otherwise required by law...

Transgender agenda a threat to Title IX Rick Vandeven's letter (Dec. 22) described Sen. Thompson-Rehder's and Rep Burger's proposal as "a coordinated attack on our children" and "a shameless attempt to use the law to force archaic religious beliefs on all of us without any concern for the consequences."...

Rick Vandeven's letter (Dec. 22) described Sen. Thompson-Rehder's and Rep Burger's proposal as "a coordinated attack on our children" and "a shameless attempt to use the law to force archaic religious beliefs on all of us without any concern for the consequences."...

Regarding Sen. Thompson-Rehder and Rep. Burger's recent legislation proposals to openly discriminate against transgender students participating in middle and high school sports in Missouri, a casual glance at the current MSHSAA handbook reveals that this issue has long been addressed. ...

The Salvation Army is currently in the middle of our annual Red Kettle Drive and hopes you will be willing to help us. We are no longer hiring temporary employees to ring the bells. We decided their cost was too expensive compared to the results, so we have switched to an all-volunteer supply of bell ringers. Unfortunately, the response has not been what we hoped for...

As a federal employee for nearly two decades, and labor organizer with oversight of six southern Missouri field offices, allow me to share an uncomfortable truth: the Social Security Administration is in crisis. Right now, Social Security operates with 4,000 fewer field office and teleservice center employees than it did 12 years ago. The current workforce of less than 60,000 is a 25-year low, even as the number of beneficiaries has increased by more than 10 million...

As a child, I remember Mom had a weekly amount allocated for groceries, gas and any other minor expenses that may occur during the week. Anytime my brothers, sister or I asked to spend money on something that wasn't in the budget for that week, Mom would say: Let's look at what we have left in the "cookie jar" (weekly allowance) to see if we can afford it. This practice worked well for the Hill family and kept us from overextending ourselves financially...

On Saturday, Dec. 3, former President Donald Trump called for the termination of the Constitution to overturn the 2020 election and reinstate him to power. Not a single Trumpublican lawmaker who had pledged to defend and protect the Constitution against all foreign and domestic enemies dared to condemn Trump. This is proof that they have accepted Trump as their dictator. That also means they want him to be the dictator of the United States...

According to recent news reports and if the existing situation does not change, a railroad strike will begin on Dec. 9. This is important because approximately 30% of the freight in this country moves by rail. The contract offered by management, which was voted down by four of the 12 unions, provided for raises slightly ahead of inflation. But health care premiums would almost double, and it did not deliver any paid sick days, a major disappointment to workers...

On Friday, Nov. 11, Sen. Rick Scott, the head of the campaign arm to elect Trumpublican senators, called the 2022 midterm election results a "complete disappointment." For, the so-called red tsunami failed to materialize. "I think we've got to reflect now. What didn't happen?" Scott said. "I think we didn't have enough of a positive message. We said everything about how bad the Biden agenda was. It's bad, the Democrats are radical, but we have to have a plan of what we stand for."...