Speak Out 09/08/01

Climate changes

FINALLY, PROOF of global warming. CNN reported NASA scientists have discovered that growing seasons in Europe and North America have increased by as much as 18 days in over just a few decades. This means plants have responded to climate change by blooming sooner and dropping leaves later, a sure sign of climate change that should have taken hundreds or thousands of years.

Stealing my money

WHAT IN the world makes anyone think there is no Social Security trust fund or surplus? That is ludicrous. Of course there is a trust fund, quite a large one, with a nominal surplus this year that my president wants to take away from me to spend on missiles. President Bush needs to come to grips with reality and admit he screwed up with the tax cut. Stealing our retirement money so he can give more handouts to the rich as well as build his space toys is reprehensible.

Geezer incentive

THE OLD person who said old people aren't sports nuts is an old nut. Getting to an age when one can spend full time glued to the TV watching sports is the main incentive to make it to geezerhood.

Scary scores

AS WITH the folks in Garrison Keillor's Lake Woebegon, we believe all of our kids are above average academically. However, when the Southeast Missourian publishes public school MAP test results, it has the effect of challenging that long-cherished belief. Thus, I implore the Southeast Missourian to cease and desist from publishing MAP scores. If you persist in publishing them, you may force us to take the steps necessary to sustain our belief and lobby our legislators to see to it that the MAP test is dumbed down.

Making judgments

IN REGARD to David Limbaugh's column about Mrs. Yates killing her children: Who appointed Limbaugh judge and jury? I don't condone what she did, but has Limbaugh ever been a stay-at-home mom and had to homeschool on top of that? Moms who stay home are asked quite frequently, "What do you do all day?" The next time Limbaugh and his firm let a criminal who is guilty go free, I will judge him, because what he is doing is wrong to our society. All he thinks about is filling his bank account and ignoring the obvious.

Favoring the workers

PETER KINDER likes to blast labor unions. I don't see him blasting Big Business or big hogs in the oil industry. The more Kinder blasts Gov. Bob Holden, the more I like Holden. Holden is pro-union, and he's for raising the minimum wage. I'll vote for anyone who's pro-labor, national health care, raising the minimum wage and curbing Big Business with fair-labor and fair-trade commissions.

Sports in school

IN RESPONSE to the man who said that if you remove sports from schools you lose the heart. I beg to differ. I always thought schools were for learning things like English, science and mathematics. Anyone who thinks sports are so important should send his kids to a sports camp.

Call it a church

I HAVE a suggestion for Kinder Morgan Power Co., which wants to build a power plant that neighbors object to. Recently, the church that was going to build on Hopper Road decided to build a daycare. All of the neighbors objected to it. However, they called it part of a church so the neighbors can't stop it. Kinder Morgan needs to build its power plant and hold church services in it once a week. Then the neighbors can't stop it. Ridiculous? This is what the church did.

Lots of complaints

I DON'T care what the mayor says, tearing up Rodney Street before the fair was ridiculous. I'm going to be closed in for fair week because of all the traffic. Everybody in Cape is complaining about the streets all being torn up at once. Joe told it like it is.