Speak Out 1/26/12

Thank you

I'D like to thank the person or people who found my cellphone at the Jaycee Golf Course a couple of weeks ago and turned it in at the Elks. It just says that there are people who are honest and good. I'd like to thank them very much for doing this for me.

Great changes

I wanted to say thank you so much for the changes you made on Page 2. I really like the weather situation and what you've done with that. Well, let's just say I like the whole thing. Thank you so much.

Saving money

I'D like to make a comment to the person who wrote about the tacky windows. In the summer my living room gets really hot, so I put aluminum foil on my windows so it reflects the heat and doesn't draw the sun in. I don't care if it looks tacky. If they want to pay my electric bill, more power to them, but I am going to do what I have to do to save money.

Quarries, water

I ask all city of Jackson residents to do some research on what quarries can do to creek waters. One of the Heartland partners said in a recent hearing that they abide by the strictest rules on keeping the water clean which goes into Hubble Creek. I truly believe they do the best they can do. However, in doing some research on the issue, I found the waste water can only be recycled to a limited degree, but ultimately it will become befouled and useless for quarrying. Contaminants can include unnatural substances like oil and gas from machinery and also include natural sediment in excessive quantities.

Wasted dollars

IF Missouri is broke and leaders are trying to fix the state budget by laying off several thousand state employees and adjusting funds to the education fund, why not cut out programs like Medicaid, food stamps, the Missouri property tax rebate -- which alone is $800 million -- and also programs where the state will pay your Medicare premium? All of these programs are geared toward the low-income clients who don't pay taxes. The programs are financed by taxpayer money. Gov. Jay Nixon needs to continue to direct funds toward education and create jobs for Missouri residents. I see a lot of wasted money.