Speak Out 1/29/06

Is this OK?

SO CHAFFEE city employees can steal money in felony amounts, get caught and only have to pay it back and resign. Does the state auditor think that's OK? We'll see.

Quick legislation

IF OUR legislators can pass one bill so quickly, what is keeping them from passing a bill protecting us from those who use eminent domain against us? If the Supreme Court can give away land so easily, perhaps our legislators will make it impossible for the courts to give away what they have no right to take.

Not choosing farming

NAME ME a farmer who has decided to become a farmer in the last 10 years. You just don't become a farmer in today's world. Most of the land is passed down from one generation to the next. With land prices the way they are, who could afford to become a farmer?

Railroad concerns

REGARDING THE UP-BNSF railroad proposal: The Union Pacific currently sends its trains through Cape Girardeau and Stoddard counties. The new proposal would allow the Union Pacific to send its trains through Scott County. The new proposal won't generate revenue for the region since it only diverts the trains. The new route is longer than the original route, so the trains will be wasting fuel. There will still be a big bottleneck since the Union Pacific only has single tracks past Rockview and Dexter. The proposal by Union Pacific makes no sense. There will be no overall improvement in congestion due to the single-track bottlenecks. This will be a big problem for the residents of Scott County, because many residents only have one way out. The way the trains are going right now is not a problem, because people who live near the tracks in Cape Girardeau and Stoddard County can get out on either Highway 25 to the west or Highway 77 and U.S. 61 to the east.

Loan department

WHEN CAN I sign up to borrow $1,000 from Chaffee? There is no penalty. Wake up, Chaffee.

Running a railroad

I'M A Sikestonian, and I have a word of advice for U.S. Rep Jo Ann Emerson. The biggest complaints about the railroad are coming from the privileged group living on the other side of the tracks that doesn't like to have to occasionally wait a few minutes to get to town. With energy prices so high, it seems better policy and common sense to keep the rails running.

Train technology

I HAVE always appreciated train transportation, especially when it is used to haul freight. Efficiently transporting a large load is more ideal, because a vastly greater proportion of the population benefits from the reduced cost of goods and also the reduction of traffic-impeding trucks. Train technology is increasing at an alarming rate. Just check out the Maglev system in Japan. Maglev uses electromagnetics to elevate the train to provide frictionless, efficient and incredibly fast travel.

Safety patrols

AS A resident of southern Cape Girardeau County, I would like to thank the deputies that patrol the area and make it safe. We see them more than our city police officer. Thank you to the sheriff's office for the security.

License requirements

I STRONGLY believe that no one, regardless of age, ought to be eligible to obtain an operator's license until he can verify having a high school diploma or a GED certificate. It's ludicrous that a 16-year-old can obtain a license and legally quit school at the same time. With freedom comes responsibility. Education is a necessity, and a driver's license is a privilege.

Learning about societies

I SERIOUSLY doubt children are being indoctrinated into the Hindu faith in the classroom. This was in a social studies class where children learn about societies. I'm sorry one parent feels as though the only social group worth learning about are Christians.

Foreign and domestic

TO THE person who blames foreign -car owners for the layoffs in the auto industry: My rice burner is made in Alabama cheaper and better than Detroit can build them.

Better perks

I AM not ashamed at all about driving a foreign car. The problem with the American car industry is not Americans buying foreign cars. It is American cars that lack all the perks people want. In addition, American manufacturers are more interested in their own pocketbooks and giving their executives $2 million bonuses each year at the expense of the little man, all in the name of capitalism. Don't blame me if I want to invest my money in a foreign car that will last 10 years versus an American-made car that will last two years.

Freedom theft

MISSOURI'S Show Me Proof program points out one thing: When a catastrophe such as 9-11 happens, the public willingly goes along with anything the politicians tell us is for our own protection, no matter how idiotic the proposals are. Working our paranoia has been pretty easy. Show me proof that having a valid driver's license -- or not having one -- will make any difference whatsoever against terrorism or identity theft. As always, our government goes just a bit too far in protecting us. We all need to reread the novel "1984." The insidious theft of our freedoms move us along the path, and our leaders know if they take it slowly, they someday will have that total power over us.

Family's feelings

SHAME ON the television and newspaper media. I am a family member of the teenage boy shot and killed in Cape Girardeau. While I understand the media's need to report the story, I am appalled by the fact that the one memory my family will have of our loved one is the picture of his body covered by a sheet which was plastered all over the TV and the front page of the newspaper. Surely there were other shots that could have been used, especially on the front page. Nothing can be done about this now, but maybe the next time this happens to someone's family you might take into account the feelings and the memories of the living who are left behind.

Computer culture

I WAS on my daughter's computer and found a Web site on her favorites called hs.face-book.com. I saw a number of accounts with pictures from many groups of friends at parties in which they were drinking. These kids were all under age. I cannot believe their parents let them do this. You can see clearly who these children are. My daughter is no longer allowed to see these people.