Speak Out 09/01/01

You go, Monroe!

CONGRATULATIONS TO Monroe Hicks for the change in his life. Going to church has been a lifesaver for him. Thanks to the Yates family and the coaches and his grandmother for helping this young man. And thanks to Bob Miller for this wonderful article that I could not put down. You go, Monroe!

Haphazard repairs

CITY HALL just doesn't get it. City taxpayers are happy with all the street improvements that have been accomplished and are currently under construction. What they are unhappy about is the haphazard way streets are torn up and left for weeks on end or left closed even when construction has been completed. The mayor seems more concerned about winning an argument than he is about addressing the genuine concerns of irate motorists.

Out of touch

THE MAYOR of Cape Gir-ardeau appears to be totally out of touch with angry residents who have had it up to here with all the detours and teeth-rattling streets under repair. Leaving sharp ledges where pavement has been stripped is dangerous. There are no warning signs. And many of those sharp drop-offs don't have anything to smooth the transition. Does the mayor think that's OK?

Switched bills

I RECENTLY moved into the low-income apartments on Lincoln Street in Scott City, Mo. When I got my first utility bill, I knew something was wrong. When I got to checking into it, I found out the meter numbers of my apartment and the one next door had been switched. That means the lady who lived in my apartment before me was paying the utility bill of the lady next door, and the other lady was paying the bill for the lady in my apartment. This had been going on for 15 or 20 years. I am no wider between the eyes than an earthworm, but I figured this out. It makes me wonder how much more of this is going on.

Bad planning

SO MAYOR Spradling thinks we should be proud of all the street work and stop complaining about the inconvenience and dangerous roads? Get a grip. Having several major streets -- Rodney, Perryville Road, New Madrid, West End, Sprigg, Seimers -- all closed at one time is really bad planning. Is the mayor telling us there is absolutely nothing the city can do to address this? Sounds to me like the city's contractors are leading city officials around by the nose.

Shoot the messenger

INCREDIBLY, THE mayor of Cape Girardeau, Albert Spradling III, would rather shoot the messenger than hear the message. His potshots at Joe Sullivan don't do a darn thing to make us feel better about all the inconvenience and upset being caused by all the street work and detours and unsafe streets. It's about time we had an editor who will say what's really on his mind. At least the editor is in touch with Cape residents. I wish I could say the same about the mayor.

Homemade ice cream

WHAT A disappointment to go to Jackson Homecomers and find out there was no homemade ice cream stand. What happened to the stand? There were lots of people who were disappointed.

No winning argument

GOOD GRIEF! If Mayor Spradling's legalese-laden diatribe on the Opinion page is his best example of making a case, it's no wonder he lost in federal court to a lady from Butler County who represented herself in a sexual harassment case against the sheriff's department. Come on, Mayor, tell us what the city can do to ease the pain of all the street work instead of complaining about -- get this -- all the complaining.

This won't hurt ...

GIVE 'EM hell, Mayor Spradling. I'm sure everyone feels better about all the roadblocks now.

Always mouthing off

THIS IS in regard to Peter Kinder's column about the unions taking their best shot after he sent his e-mail warning. Where does he come off being such an expert on unions? He's always mouthing off about the unions and calling union members thugs and criminals.