Speak Out 10/22/09

Smoking right

A group that's trying to get Cape Girardeau to be a smoke-free city said it had 1,400 signatures. What about the thousands of people who smoke? Are these people going to quit drinking too? Let's shut the bars down. If we're going to be healthy, then let's be healthy 100 percent. I am a smoker, but I don't blow smoke in anybody's face. That is my right as a citizen. Why should 1,400 people take my right away?

Hard to get help

I know a person who has tried to get help from Medicaid but can't because he owns too much property: a car and a house. He has insurance, and his children who are in grade school are living with him. He needs help. He lost his job. He was told that, in order to get help, he would have to get rid of his insurance policies and sell a lot of stock. People are being penalized for working. When they lose their job, it's hard to get any help.

Hard to believe

EARLIER this year, President Obama said that if Congress passed his stimulus plan that the unemployment rate would not go over 8 percent. It is now at 9.8 percent and rising. He said the stimulus plan would create 3 million new jobs. Since the president signed the stimulus plan, we have lost 3 million jobs. His projection was off by 6 million. Now he says this health care plan will give me better coverage for less money. Why should I believe him?

Home defense

IN the war on al-Qaida, wouldn't it be better to have our troops back in this country? It's likely al-Qaida will try to attack this country again. Would it be more effective to have our troops here to protect our borders?

Inconvenient work

I live in Benton, Mo., off Highway 77 by the school where the water pipes are being put in. This is an inconvenience. My daughter goes to a state school, and her bus had trouble getting down the road today. I had no way to walk my daughter down to the end of the road to get on the bus.