Speak Out 06/30/04

Future of aviation

CAPE GIRARDEAU'S Renaissance Aircraft can grow with general aviation industry. There's literally more buzzing going on in the general aviation industry. Single-engine piston aircraft sales were up 11 percent in 2003, and shipments remain strong in 2004. There is even greater activity in the avionics market as owners upgrade their aircraft. Shops are booked up three months in advance, and owners are spending an average of $27,000 on new avionics. Another good indicator is student pilot starts. In 2003, the number of new students increased 2 percent, more than offsetting the decline of foreign flight students since the 2001 terrorist attacks. More than 16,000 new pilots are expected to be added to the rolls by 2005. Timing for a Renaissance looks perfect.

No economic ripple

SORRY, WALL Street Journal, but you're woefully wrong. A number of years ago the minimum wage was raised, and it did not ripple through the economy raising prices as you claimed would be inevitable. Shame on you.

Need a stoplight

I HAVE a suggestion for Jackson city officials planning the new Farmington-Independence intersection. It is going to be an inconvenient month for everybody involved, but for the safety of motorists and pedestrians, please add a stoplight. If you add turn lanes in all directions, you are going increase the number of potential motorists approaching the intersection at the same time. In addition, you have the new walkway from the park to the middle school which will add more pedestrians. Bottom line: If you're going to do the job, please just do it right.

Doing what's right

I BELIEVE in going directly to God. I bypass Jesus and the church. There are thousands of churches and religions. How do we know which one is God's? I do read the Bible but don't believe all that it says, I never go to church, but I know right from wrong, as do most folks. If you always do right, what more could God want?

But not too busy

RESPONDING TO the "Doctors are busy" comment: Isn't it ironic how doctors own the golf courses on Wednesday afternoons? Sure, they're fond of crying about having to be on call, but have you ever tried getting through an answering service to see one after hours?

Did the right thing

I WOULD bet my life that if the person who complained about the restaurant workers who turned in the drunk driver had lost a family member or close friend because of drinking and driving, he would feel entirely different. The driver deserved it. Thank God nobody was hurt.

Exceptional behavior

VICE PRESIDENT Cheney used the F-word at the most inappropriate time in the Senate chamber recently. This sets a bad example for our young people who use this word all too frequently these days. So much for restoring family values and morality to the government. Look how the Republicans justified it and made a joke out of it. They sure can make exceptions when it comes to their own bad behavior. I think that's called hypocrisy.

Don't feel too sorry

THIS IS in regard to the comment about doctors being busy. A Speak Out comment said doctors are on call 24 hours a day. I am employed by a physician, and he is not on call 24 hours a day. There is a rotating schedule. Doctors are only on call when it is their turn, which sometimes is only once a month. Even then a lot of doctors have their office staff take care of problems. Yes, these doctors work hard, but most physicians have someone else do a lot of the work for them. So quit feeling sorry for them. We in the office staff are the ones taking the flack when the doctor is running two hours behind. We have to take the rudeness from the patients when they have to reschedule or they have to talk about their unreasonable bill. It is not the doctor who does these things. They are paid high dollars for their work while the rest of us struggle to make ends meet and take the lip from the unhappy patients.