Speak Out 10/16/03

I WAS very happy to read the article about reopening a grocery store in the Schaarf building ( as I knew it). Many trips and memories remain of Sheepy Schaarf and his fellow employees.

Against small businesses

IF SOME of you living in Cape Girardeau think that our mayor and city council are pro-business and do not care about the residents, I would invite you to attend a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. This group is anything but pro-business, unless you are already an established, successful and wealthy businessperson in the community. Eight out of 11 commissioners voted against three special-use permits for people to run home businesses. Commissioner Scott Rhodes went so far as to say that he is against home-based businesses. I find it alarming that this board, which sends its recommendations to the city council, is blackballing those who are trying to live the American dream. At a time of economic difficulty, I cannot understand why our city officials would not be more open to small business growth.

Speak English

I THINK we should have a national language, and it should be English. If foreigners want to live here they should have to speak English.

Thanks for tax cut

I'M A Cape Girardeau resident and a union member. I'm just a laborer, but I voted for President Bush and will vote for him again. I love the tax cut I received, and if you lazy bums would take care of your finances, you would appreciate your tax cut too. Of course, you have to work for a living to receive a tax break. Those of you who are too lazy to work are the ones complaining and wanting even more of a free ride on my labor.

Bridge brings progress

OUR MAYOR and the city council are accused of being pro-business to the chagrin of residents in this community. With all due respect to those who live in residential neighborhoods along the highway leading to the new bridge, these people knew there was a highway coming. They knew a bridge was being built. Did they not realize that much of the property along this highway will become prime commercial property once the new bridge is open? This is called progress.

THERE IS a quality problem with education, and the public is not ignorant about it anymore. Educators are complaining that the MAP test standards are too high. Stop lowering the standards in order to try to hide the real problem. Most of the kids at their afternoon fast-food jobs can't make correct change. Some teachers can't even send a note home without making spelling and grammatical errors. We need to stop throwing money at the problem. Pumping in more money is not the solution.

Look at history

THE CALLER who seemed to say we'd be better off living in a direct democracy as opposed to a representative one needs to board a time machine and go back to ancient Athens.