Speak Out 06/17/04

Honesty alive, well

AT WAL-MART, the cashier forgot to deduct my coupons from the total bill. She ran out to the parking lot and caught me and gave me the change she'd forgotten. Bless her.

A true hero

THE IDEA of the coverage of President Reagan's funeral is great. I voted for him both times. But to parade him around like this is disrespectful, in my opinion. The coverage of Ray Charles honored a great singer and good man. All this is good. But what about the real everyday heroes like the child who didn't care for his own safety and plunged into the water of a closed pool to save someone else's life? That boy is the true hero.

Bible interpretation

THE BIBLE is infallible, and Christians do not choose which parts we will obey and which we will discard. It does not say women should be subservient to men. It states that if the man is the religious leader of the household, he should be obeyed. If the woman is the religious leader, then she is to be obeyed. When Jesus came to Earth he superseded the Law and told us which parts we would need to follow as part of Christianity. Not all parts would need to apply anymore. The death and resurrection of Jesus changed everything and gave people hope. I am a Christian and not perfect. Although I strive to do things right, I often falter. However, when I do, Jesus is there to pick me up and put me on my way again.

French turncoats

I'D LIKE to comment about the French, whom we saved during World War I and World War II. The French president didn't attend President Reagan's funeral. It was a snub at the United States. The French have made $100 billion from Iraqi oil. That money was supposed to go to food for the Iraqis. I think we should now take our fallen boys from French soil and bring them back to the United States. It's hard for me to think of American boys in French soil. The French are truly ungrateful people and disloyal to us after all the sacrifice we made.

Conservative lifestyle

NOW THAT Rush Limbaugh is recovering from drug addiction and is getting his third divorce, it may be time to decide that he's not living the conservative lifestyle. He's a great speaker. He speaks well for a cause, but he doesn't live the cause. It's time to find a new spokesman who goes to church and lives the conservative lifestyle.

Need more teachers

THIS IS in response to the person who said that there should be more people getting out of teaching. That does not make sense at all. There is a huge teacher famine. We need more people to try to get into teaching to try to teach our kids.

Pay for teachers

BECAUSE A teacher is frustrated about the salary she's making does not mean she is not dedicated to her job. She has bills, rent and taxes to pay. I think 90 percent of the teachers are dedicated. They like their job, but they need money to live.

Matter of trust

OUR MAYOR was so happy when the fire tax passed. He mentioned how the residents trusted the city council. I wonder how those same residents feel now that the city's going to hire a consultant for 90 days for $30,000.

Outside help

WE MIGHT have known it. As soon as the tax passed, the city hired an outside consulting firm to the tune of $30,000 to review city employee salaries. No wonder the city is going broke. We hire people who won't or can't do their jobs properly and have to have outside help for thousands and thousands of dollars.

Unfriendly treatment

MY MOTHER and I were shopping in Cape Girardeau a few days ago. We parked in the handicap spot. My mom has an Illinois handicap sticker that you hang on your mirror, but it was broken. An officer gave her a ticket even though she had the sticker. The officers were real nasty. I don't think they deserve a pay raise.

Throwing money away

THE QUARTER-CENT sales tax is passed one minute, and the next minute the city is throwing over $29,000 away. I'll give the city some good advice, and I won't charge a penny. Get some managers who know how to make some decisions based on need and some who can use some common sense. All the talking heads know is how to spend. Don't any of them know how to communicate with other city leaders to see what works best.

Conservative beliefs

CONSERVATIVES HOLD with the Constitution and the rule of law and believe your rights are not for others to usurp. We believe if you commit a crime you should do the time. We believe everyone has within himself the capacity to do great things if government will get out of the way. We believe all people should be treated equally under the law, but that means no special treatment because you are a minority. We believe the money you earn is yours, not the government's. We believe free markets offer the most freedom for all. We believe in the inherent good of the American people. We believe Americans should be free to be the best they can be, unhindered by meaningless regulation and social engineering. We believe that if we give a man a fish, he will eat today, but if we teach him how to fish, he and his family will eat every day. We believe we should all help those in need to get back on their feet. We believe in a strong national defense. We believe in smaller government and smaller budgets and deficits, except when national emergencies arise. We believe that to express one's faith in a supreme being and practice the religion of your choice is everyone's right. We believe the United States is the best nation in the history of the world. Ultimately, we believe in a future full of possibilities, not a past full of trouble.

Some pay advice

WE PASS a tax to pay for police and fire improvements because the city says it does not have enough money. Then the city hires a consulting firm from out of state to find out what it will take to keep city employees from leaving for greener pastures. What we need to do to keep our city employees happy is pay them a decent wage, improve working conditions and advancement opportunities and offer a generous benefit package and bonus incentives for a job well done.