Speak Out 10/07/08

Beyond belief

NEAL BOYD is unbelievable. His voice is beyond belief. I can't wait to buy his CD. He should know he has a talent which no other singer can top. He brings joy and tenderness to our hearts when we listen to the reruns of "America's Got Talent."

To the Show Me Center

WE HAD faith in Neal Boyd, and he did us proud. My wife and I enjoyed his performances. I hope he comes to the Show Me Center. We will be there to see him perform.

Offsetting column

JON RUST'S moving tribute to Paul Newman and convincing words about the cultural opportunities offered by the River Campus more than made up for his previously published premature paean to Sarah Palin.

Unsafe area

AS A resident of Ellis Street in Cape Girardeau, I am concerned for my safety. There are many frightening things that happen in the North Ellis neighborhood on a daily basis. There is a surplus of homeless people who dig through the trash, and there is constant worry that they will steal something. There are parties every night, and sleeping is near impossible until 3 a.m. Large groups of people gather in the vacant lots late at night. The lot that concerns most citizens is the one behind the Dollar General Store on Broadway. After observing the activity that happens late at night on this lot, I believe there are illegal activities going on here, including drug deals. I would like to see the police pay more attention to the area.

Sikeston's renaissance

NEAL BOYD'S victory in "America's Got Talent" sent chills up and down my spine to a degree I haven't experienced since another Sikestonian, Blake DeWitt, signed a major-league baseball contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That Sikeston's ongoing renaissance is reflected nationally in the achievements of Boyd and DeWitt is amazing and well-deserved.

Delta's water

THE CURRENT members of the Delta City Council are not the ones to blame for the increase in our water bills. It is past members who did nothing but argue over things that did't matter and let our water and sewer system get in the mess it is now. People don't realize that this has to be maintained year after year. Money has to be put back to do so. Who knows where that money went? I love our little town, and we have many more privileges than most big cities do.

Prepare to lose

POLITICIANS TALK about the need to do a bailout of Wall Street, claiming it won't cost the taxpayer a dime in the long run. Let's be honest. It already has. The banks all knew what was going on for years. To help cover their losses they have jacked up loan rates and service fees. We're already paying for it. Services are going to be cut and programs stopped. The average Joe will get it in the end, and those who have abused the system for years will continue to do so. Charities will suffer because people won't be able to fund them as much. Each one of us needs to ask what we are going to lose and plan accordingly. No one is going to bail us out from what's to come.

No force feeding

IT'S DISTURBING to read that some people are angry that a local school gives Muslim students the freedom to fast during Ramadan. I've been a Catholic all my life and I don't remember anyone objecting to my not eating meat on public property over a series of Fridays each year. We maintain a separation of church and state to avoid the imposition of beliefs. In other words, we don't take well to force feeding.

Highway mowing

WHY CAN'T the highway department mow Highway 74 between Cape Girardeau and Dutchtown? It gets mowed maybe two or three times all year. The weeds are head high, while county roads are all trim and neat. Thousands of people drive into Cape daily on this stretch.

Planet is imploding

THE COMING closure of Grace Cafe makes me cry and is but one more example of the local, state, national and international economic meltdown. We can no longer afford to fiddle while our planet implodes.

Mixing religions

THE NEXT thing you know someone will be accusing Central High School of being a hotbed of Islamic extremism. Even David Limbaugh would agree that it's a good idea to mix schools and religion, although he would admittedly limit it to his brand of Christianity.

Comparing costs

I READ recently about the water rate increase in Delta, where the average household would pay $20 a month. My family of three lives in Jackson, and our water-sewer bill runs approximately $60 a month most of the year and as high as $90 during the summer. Add this to the 36 percent electric rate increase from last year and it is outrageous. I would like to see the Southeast Missourian compare what an average family's utilities would cost in the surrounding cities.

City needs dog park

I LIVE in Cape Girardeau and would like for the city or county government to consider building a dog park for pet owners to use. Part of the bicycle park at the intersection of Lexington and Sprigg could be used. It would be much used and appreciated.

Religious photos

PUBLIC SCHOOLS are supported by taxpayer dollars, so any organization that wants to use a school building for after-school purposes should be allowed to do so. That said, though, why was it considered important to put a photo of Muslims praying in the paper? Now the newspaper has to print photos of all religions performing their acts of faith in the school buildings.

Inaccurate headline

THE PEOPLE want the super-rich to pay their fair share in taxes. The people want freewheeling, laissez-faire, now-corrupt-and-out-of-control capitalism subjected to rigorous regulation and oversight. The people want the the U.S. out of Iraq ASAP and realize our nation made a serious error when we mistakenly invaded and got bogged down there when all of our efforts should have been focused on Afghanistan. As unemployment hits a five-year high, the people want jobs. The people are sick and tired of a borrow-and-spend fiscal policy. As a result, it seems inconceivable to portray Sarah Palin as a candidate of the people when it comes to the issues, as you did in your headline, referring to her as a populist, or candidate of the people. Her folksy side may seem to indicate that she's a candidate of the people. Her policies don't.

Other religions

THERE WAS a recent comment that "I'm happy to say Central High School has a tolerant attitude regarding other religions." The key word is "other." If this had been a Christian activity, people would be outraged and crying "separation of church and state." Someone also commented that this is similar to Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Rally Round the Pole. No, it is not. Those Christian activities are required to be held outside the school day, either before school or as an after-school activity. School time for these activities has been consistently denied.

Gas prices

WHAT'S GOING on with local gas prices? Prices in our area use to be 40 to 50 cents cheaper than the national price, but now it's about even. Take a look at the prices in Springfield, Mo. Gas is selling for $2.89 a gallon.