Speak Out 10/13/01

High school pride

I MUST certainly agree with the caller who said Cape businesses should take pride in their local high school. However, pride has to start from within. It was quite apparent in the Cape-Jackson football game which team and coaching staff takes more pride in preparing their team to compete. Jackson coaches believe in the value of rigorous off-season weight training and conditioning, and it showed in the recent game with Central High School, which appeared to be out-muscled and out-conditioned. So until the players and coaches at Central take more pride in the product they put out on the playing filed, it will be difficult to muster very much community support, and we can expect more 33-0 thrashings.

Caring columns

I DON'T know what it is about Jon Rust's columns, but some of them are gut-wrenching. I want to thank him for sharing stories about his travels. The headline said it right: His column puts a human face on what is going on in Afghan-istan. His voice is caring and clear.

High cable bills

AM I the only person upset at the ever-increasing unexplained rise in TV cable bills? It finally got to a point I refused to accept it any longer and reduced my cable to basic. It's a joke, because there is nothing worth watching. But I'm trying to prove a point that they are getting rich off of us because we let them. If people would let them know we're not happy with the situation and there are other alternatives such as satellite dishes, the cable company just might not be so quick to increase your cable bill. My salary has not increased in over three years, yet my cable bill went through three increases in that amount of time. I simply can't afford it any more.

Signal timing

SOMEONE NEEDS to reset the stoplights at the intersection of Mount Auburn Road and William Street. During high-traffic times such as going to work in the mornings, lunch hours and coming home from work in the evenings I have sat through as many as four light changes before finally making it across the intersection. That is totally unacceptable. I have noticed when I'm in the lane to go straight that only four or five cars trying to make a left turn get to go while the light is green. That leaves 20 more cars left to wait again. If you'll notice, the lights on William are much longer. There is just very heavy traffic coming from the mall and Doctors Park. All of us working in these places would very much appreciate having this problem fixed.

Do what's right

MISSOURI STATE legislators should belly up to the bar, vote for a tax subsidy for the St. Louis Cardinals and, if it comes to it, pay the price at the polls. If pols lack the courage to do the right thing and save the Cards, then the entire state government of Missouri is little more than a house of cards.

Good growth rate

A RADIO station recently reported that "the Cape schools" had declined 1 percent in enrollment over the last year. Just for the record, the reporter was obviously talking about the public schools. Cape's Catholic schools, from the elementary level through Notre Dame Regional High School, have over the past four years grown by an astounding 25 percent or more.

Shivering comment

IT SENT shivers down my spine. The "God gave this homeland to Israel" comment revealed to the reading public a mind-set more frightening and potentially malevolent than anything ever published in this majestic forum.

It was hogwash

BEFORE THE election, I heard Republicans complaining that the Clinton administration had permitted our military might to collapse into nothingness. Not so. It seems to me our military power is doing quite well, thank you. Like so many other tidbits of GOP wisdom, it was hogwash.