Speak Out 03/10/03

Expensive study

JOE GAMBILL spends $60,000 for a study and then doesn't want to hear the results because he was proven wrong. I guess because a juvenile center will provide services for the poorer people in the community, he isn't for it.

Targeted support

DO I personally believe the River Campus project is necessary? No. But at least it should look nice. Am I angered by Jim Drury's never-ending lawsuits? Yes. Why? A gerrymandered enterprise zone encompassing the Siemers Drive area, a desire for a TIF in the Four Corners region and extreme political pressure to extend Highway 74. It seems to me Drury likes public funding only if you can spit on the project from I-55. Endless rings of development stretch the resources of the city to the breaking point. If you really want to live in a sea of tacky strip malls and mega-stores surrounding a rotting core, move to the West County area near St. Louis.

Keep on laughing

IN RESPONSE to "Un-schooled Behavior": Do you think school office workers aren't allowed to laugh at their job? Do you laugh at your job? If there was no laughter or some type of enjoyment at a place of employment, it would make it a bad place to be. Laughter never hurts anyone. I'd rather hear a room full of laughter than a room full of sourpusses any day. Keep on laughing, everyone. I know I will.

Temporary distraction

I JUST read the article about the student in Oak Ridge with the mohawk. If I had to guess, it probably wasn't that big of a deal until the principal stepped in. It's just a distraction for a few minutes, and then it's old news. And for a girl (or boy) to dye her or his hair red or orange, it's no different than a blond dying his hair black.

Lots of competition

HOW CAN a water park, which will be open only three or four months a year, be such a good economic development? Water parks are being built everywhere, so a water park here may end up being only a local draw. If this happens, it could be a financial disaster. I will vote no on tax increases until the water park is taken out of the plan.

Decoration suggestion

I HAVE been following the Downtown Merchants Association's plan to buy new Christmas decorations. Until more funds are available, here is a suggestion: Most stores on Broadway and Main Street have large plate-glass windows. Every store could put a decorated tree in its window. I might be nice to walk down Broadway and Main with your children and look at all the different trees.

Good presentation

THANKS SO much to the political science, philosophy, religion and history departments at SEMO for their presentation of all of the reasons not to go to war in Iraq. They laid out the moral, political and rational arguments to oppose this war in no uncertain terms. Well-done to you all. We're lucky to have such intelligent people in our community. Keep it up.

U.N. is a mockery

WHAT A mockery the United Nations is. Do those inspectors actually think those Iraqi scientists are going to tell them anything about their programs to develop weapons of mass destruction? They're not fooling President Bush. He knows who the terrorists and tyrants are. He is not going to tolerate people living in fear.

Rebuild Capaha pool

I THINK the people of Cape Girardeau ought to be ashamed of themselves for wanting a water park way out there on the north end of town. What about the kids who live in the other part of town where that are more accessible to Capaha Park? What are they going to do for swimming facilities in the summer? I think the city needs to rebuild Capaha Park pool.

They like to spend

IT SEEMS the only time politicians feel like they're doing what they're been elected to do is when they're spending taxpayers' money.

Under whose God?

FOR THOSE callers who mistakenly believe the Founding Fathers really intended that American citizens should have to profess a belief in God in order to pledge their loyalty to the country, would you feel the same if the pledge read "One nation under Allah"?

No need for consultants

I FIND it absurd that the head of the Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to spend $40,000 for a consultant to figure out how to promote tourism in the city. I am so tired of these atrocious amounts of money being spent to pay consultants. People who work for the city should be doing this.

Good production

KUDOS TO SEMO's Theatre and Dance Department for presenting "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." It was entertaining and professionally done.

Pack down the asphalt

I COMMEND the Jackson road crew for patching holes in the roads that are the result of the severe ice and weather we've had. But looking back to my days as a child playing in the dirt with my Tonka toys, I always knew that to patch a hole, we must pack it down. Our Jackson city road crews are pouring a bunch of asphalt into the potholes but not packing them down. I think the city should pick up the tab for cleaning my vehicle.

Meat to chew on

HAVING LIVED in Cape Girardeau for six and half years and having read every comment to Speak Out in that time, including having called in some of my own, I have read some good comments and a lot of garbage. But I have never read anything better than the one entitled "Principle of democracy" appearing March 4. Truly this is meat we can chew on. These are the comments people should be calling in, and these are the kind of comments the Southeast Missourian should be printing.