Speak Out 1/24/06

Mine safety

TO THE individual who believes Illinois keeps its miners safe, the following is reported by KMOV in St. Louis: "Illinois has been the site of some of the worst coal mine disasters. A 1909 fire in Cherry, Ill., killed 259 miners; 119 men were killed in a mine explosion in West Frankfort, Ill., in 1951. Four years earlier 111 miners were killed in an explosion in Centralia, Ill. According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration, Illinois ranks third in the nation behind Kentucky and Alabama for coal mine fatalities since 1993." Mining is a dangerous job nationwide, without sufficient attention given to human safety.

Street maintenance

WHERE IS tax money going? Take a good look at some of Cape Girardeau's streets and alleys. Our taxes should be going to the local mechanics for repairs on our vehicles. It is a shame that we work our tails off just to pay taxes and see very little from them. We called city hall to request gravel. Two years later, there's still no gravel. We might get lucky and get a grader to come through to push the gravel up against our fences. Please take care of our city streets and alleys.

Health care is essential

A COMMENT said about cutting Medicaid, "All pigs squeal when they're pushed away from the trough." They also squeal when they're castrated and when their throats are cut before butchering, which is what Gov. Matt Blunt has done to many handicapped, below-poverty level citizens of Missouri. Medicaid should not be classified as a snack or a steak dinner. Health care is essential to human beings. It's too bad we, unlike many civilized governments, cannot have access to funded health care.

Musical memories

WILSON PICKETT may be gone, but the songs "Midnight Hour" and "Funky Broadway" will live forever. This is in small part true because of the decades of lasting tribute paid to these two classic songs by Lee and the Lyrics at the Colony Club in the good old days. I'll never forget that band's members, including particularly Leon Barnett and Lee Ragland.

Still charging

THE DEPARTMENT of Revenue had to do away with fees it was charging for disabled parking permits. So why are the doctors still allowed to charge to fill out the form required to apply for a permit? Someone should check into this.

Government control

SOME PEOPLE think the government has nothing to hide. What about Watergate, JFK, Vietnam, Iran-Contra and Iraq? The list will never end. Enough is enough, this country was settled to be a free country, and government keeps changing laws for complete control. When will it end? Or will it ever end?

Price of farmland

IF A farmer wants to sell some land to be developed, that is his business. I just hope farmers ask around to see what the going price could be. I have heard of way too many instances where developers have bought land dirt cheap because the farmer had dollar signs in his eyes. I know of one situation where a developer promised to pay back the farmer as each lot was sold over several years. Now that is a real bargain.

Striving for the best

WHOEVER THINKS teachers no longer consider handwriting important doesn't know Mrs. Heady at Alma Schrader Elementary School. If your answer isn't in cursive with correctly formed letters, then it isn't completely correct. Is she just picky? No. She simply expects nothing but the best from her students, and she helps them achieve it.

Become a farmer

THIS IS in response to the person who made the "Hard workers" comment about farmers. He says he would trade places with any farmer in Cape Girardeau County. Why doesn't he become a farmer instead of replacing one, if he knows all the answers?

Farm wife's response

I AM a farmer's wife. To the garbage collector or whoever wants to trade places with a farmer, please do so. That three-day weekend you just had will no longer be. For every dollar you make, keep 22 cents. Statistically, that is all you will earn. We never take our tractor or combine for long drives, and the one-ton pickup uses too much gas to go on trips. We will never get two weeks paid vacation or a pension plan. We pay a lot for health and liability insurance and personal property taxes. Yes, we get a lot of tax breaks because we make little money and have to buy our own equipment. Use a little logic here. If we had to choose, which would it be: food or city employees? I believe it's hypocritical of any city employee to make a negative comment about a farmer.

Trains are good

I WOULD like to comment on trains coming through several small towns. Sikeston officials and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson are opposed, yet we're always trying to find industry to come to Southeast Missouri. But when we have expanding business and railroads come through, these officials want to prevent more trains. I'm sure the businesses that are being supported by railroad workers are not complaining about the money they're receiving. This is why Southeast Missouri has such a hard time getting industry. If it wasn't for rail service, we would have more semis traveling through our roads, which are in bad enough shape as it is.

No answer

I TRIED to call the Marble Hill Police Department around 9 p.m. I let the phone ring for two minutes, and nobody answered. I wonder if we have police protection during the night.

We need the trains

U.S. REP. Jo Ann Emerson is trying to stop additional trains from going through Sikeston. We've got to have the trains to haul grain. The river's about dry, and barges can't carry a full load. Grain is backing up. Don't let Jo Ann Emerson stop the trains.

We need farmers

THE PERSON who said garbage collectors can't use garbage trucks for personal use does not own the garbage truck. A farmer has to buy his land, tractor, trucks, combines, discs and drills and all the equipment he needs to put in a crop, plus fuel and fertilizer. He has every right to use his truck. He has to buy it all to feed the nation. We don't get any more tax breaks than any other business. If it wasn't for the hard-working farmer, we wouldn't have food or clothes.

Beautiful steeple

WHAT A beautiful sight when it snowed a little and the sun came out when it was snowing. The sunshine was on the stained glass in the steeple on the new church at Cape Rock Drive and Lexington Avenue. The church steeple is a beautiful, peaceful scene like an old-fashioned Christmas card in the valley. It would be worth your while to take a drive some morning and evening to see the beautiful steeple when morning light is on it.

Funny cartoon

IT'S NICE to have someone who's an editorial cartoonist for our own newspaper. The one about the plan for downtown streets was just too funny. Don Greenwood seems very talented. I was greatly amused. I hope he can keep up this quality of work in the newspaper.