Speak Out 1/5/07

Media suggestions

IF THE news media would quit suggesting the responses that terrorists might have to certain actions our government takes, there would be a lot less of it. These suggestions encourage terrorists to carry out the predictions of the news media. The media are at fault for a lot of this.

Lock up medicine

REGARDING PRESCRIPTION medicines getting into the hands of children from their parents: Parents, just because it's medicine doesn't mean it has to go into the medicine cabinet. Parents should keep their medicine under lock and key. Today's problem is children are taking maybe one or two of their prescriptions, and parents don't know it. But if it's under lock and key, they will know it. We don't need a new law to make us do something that's common sense. Think about it.

Pay as you go

WE'RE STARTING a new year. I wonder what the national debt is going to be at the end of this year. Some people say we don't want any tax increases. We keep adding to the national debt. When it comes home to roost, we will realize we made a terrible mistake by not having a pay-as-you-go government.

City pay raises

THIS IS in regard to Cape Girardeau's decisions not to give the minimum wage to city employees. I'd sue the city. All the city is going to do is use the money to increase the pay of those who are in charge of the minimum-wage workers. Someone will get a raise, but it won't be the ones who need it.

Bad decision

REGARDING CAPE Girardeau's decision not to honor the will of the voters of Missouri regarding the minimum wage: It's an atrocity that in this town we do not support our city employees, especially our young people who are the future of this country. I will not support any future city tax increases, and I will not be voting for the library expansion if that's how the city is going to treat our employees.

Enough whining

IF I hear one more person whining about being on a fixed income, I may run amok. I am a salaried employee and work hard all week and often on weekends to make a living. Guess what. My income is fixed too. As to the minimum-wage increase being a benefit: Few nonstudents work for minimum wage anymore. And if you think minimum-wage increases benefit anyone on the lower end of the wage scale, you need to take a course in basic economics.

Message to skinflints

CONCERNING THE minimum wage: I must be living in a different country than some of the people who are complaining that an increase in the minimum wage only makes everything else rise in price. I've been married 42 years, and everything has risen in price every year. If it is the minimum wage that is doing that, what about all the years when it wasn't raised? Come on, skinflints, give the poor man a chance, for Pete's sake.

Bulbs aren't better

I TRIED three of those CFL lights and was not happy. They are dimmer and didn't last anywhere close to the five to seven years that they say they will. I will stick with the old kind of lights.

Pay up, city

SOME NERVE Cape Girardeau has by denying the minimum-wage increase for city workers. As a concerned citizen, I think the city council better rethink this stance and follow the law before some city employee complains and we are hit with an expensive lawsuit. If the city can't afford the minimum-wage increase now, how will they be able to afford the cost of a trial, back pay and a large fine?