Speak Out 09/01/01

Courteous mowers

I AM a frequent visitor to both the Cape LaCroix Trail and the Jackson City Park. I would like to thank the considerate park employees who mow the Cape trail area. They always shut down the mowers when people pass them on the trail. I wish the park employees who mow the Jackson park would be as courteous.

We'll pay for it

THE DREAM has died for Republicans who thought George W. Bush was going to get away with giving out a huge tax break while holding onto the surplus. Now the surplus is imaginary and it may be necessary to tap over $9 billion in funds from the lockbox to cover spending for things like space lasers and oil rigs. Enjoy your $600 now, folks. We'll be paying for it tenfold later.

Don't throw rocks

THIS IS in response to the person who likened the farmer to a leech. If farmers stopped farming, where would the food come from? Synthetic foods don't taste like the real thing. And until scientists come up with a food-preparation device like the Jetsons used, I will have nothing but the utmost respect for those who choose to farm. If that means giving farmers subsidies because the government won't sell most of the grain, then so be it. By the way, have you ever received a check from the government? If so, don't throw rocks in glass houses.

Wonderful story

BOB MILLER'S article about football player Monroe Hicks was wonderful. Sports Illustrated could have run it with pride. Congratulations on a piece of fine writing. And best wishes to Hicks for a successful life on and off the field.

Less government

ONE OF the fundamental reasons for the shortage of Food and Drug Administration investigators who might have deterred the despicable drug-dilution disaster is the far too rigid conservative adherence to the credo that less government is good.

Beholden to Big Labor

TO THE person who blamed state Sen. Peter Kinder for not working with Gov. Bob Holden: Give me a break. It wasn't Kinder who issued an executive order that ran around the legislature, probably illegally. For 40 years or more the Missouri House and Senate voted down collective bargaining. But Holden decrees it will be done with the legislature out of town. That's arrogance. This order will cost state employees and taxpayers plenty of money, so I give Holden no credit for helping the working people. His true colors were shown when he didn't give state workers a raise this year while giving massive increases to his personal staff. Holden isn't a friend to anyone but his Big Labor contributors.

Still a slacker

CONTRARY TO Jon Rust's opinion, Rush Limbaugh is still a slacker. He just makes a lot of money for doing what he does, which is basically a lot of slacking off the truth in order to make political hits on his opponents. None of Clinton's problems would have ever happened if it weren't for Limbaugh, Drudge and other people of that ilk making something out of nothing. Now, Peter Kinder wants to make something of Bob Holden's support of unions. We all knew Holden was going support unions in whatever way possible. What's the big deal now?

Bad precedent

IN NO way should the governor be praised for his executive order. Forget the specific issue: labor. What he did was usurp the legislative authority of our government. That's dangerous. I'm a Democrat, and Holden has set a bad precedent. I'm scared to death of what Republicans will do the next time they win the governorship if this is allowed. Think about it. This is no way for government to work. I'm no fan of Peter Kinder. He can take his conservative fire and brimstone to Mississippi for all I care. But Holden makes Kinder look reasonable.

CAPE SCHOOL board president Bob Fox recently expressed a degree of confidence that the controversial and unpopular removal of Central High School principal Randie Fidler was behind us. Fox's assertion appears to be the apogee of wishful thinking. The housecleaning has just begun.

Canyon crevices

TO THE beautiful but blood pressure-raising detour signs and barricades must now be added crevices in streets slightly deeper but in ways quite comparable to the Grand Canyon.

Unmitigated gall

DR. FERRELL Ervin is evidently trying to sneak through the back door, so to speak, by seeking an appointment to the Cape Girardeau School Board. Just a short while ago, Ervin was soundly repudiated at the polls, in no small part due to his role in the purging of Central High School principal Randie Fidler. Now Ervin is evidently eager to regain a seat made vacant by the principled David Goncher, who resigned in protest over the Fidler fiasco. To me, Ervin's action is motivated by an unmitigated gall unsurpassed in the honorable history of the Cape Girardeau schools.

Following the rules

KINDER MORGAN Power Co. has to follow environmental rules like any other industry. As far as not hiring local workers, what are they going to do? Hire people from Colorado and have them drive back and forth every day? And if they are nonunion, that means instead of whining all the time the workers will be more interested in doing quality work. Coors is a prime example of this. There was a marked improvement in their product when they kicked the union out years ago.

Who gets the bill?

Where can I send the repair bill for my car after driving on Cape's streets?