Speak Out 10/24/06

The oil economy

THE REASON OPEC is cutting oil production is because the price per barrel of oil has dropped. OPEC knows if it limits the amount of oil produced the cost will go back up again. The reason it increased production was because the price per barrel of oil was way up. This has nothing to do with our government. This situation is brought on by a free economy. The media had scared us into an oil shortage, and that is why the prices went up.

My future, my money

SOCIAL SECURITY frustrates me. Hundreds of my dollars are taken out of my paycheck each month. Will I get it back? Most likely not. I work hard for my money and want to keep as much of it as I can. I spent many years in school to achieve the earnings that I enjoy today. I would gladly give up all that I have contributed to Social Security just to be able to redirect future contributions to an account that I own. It's a good thing that I am planning to fund my own retirement. Unlike others, I cannot and will not rely on the government to do it for me.

Asleep at the wheel

UNITED HEALTH Care's CEO is leaving the company with a reported $1.1 billion retirement fund even though the company is under investigation. How have we let this happen? Did we go to sleep at the wheel? Whom do we blame? Whom do we ask to stop this craziness? IBM's quarterly profit was up 47 percent, but the hiring the company did -- 4,000 jobs -- was in India. Are you next?

I like her

IN RESPONSE to the story "Growing up Mormon": I like the writer, Melissa Sirrine, without even knowing her personally. I like her because she is not afraid to speak her beliefs in a straightforward and concise manner. I like her because she is young and convinced of something good. And I like her because she respects rules, regulations, laws and precedents. Her parents have done a commendable job.

Paying for Medicaid

VOTE NO on the tobacco tax. After all the fancy deductions and calculations, only 10 percent of the money collected is going to smoking-cessation programs. Proponents of the tax want the other 90 percent to bail out Medicaid recipients, their dependents and the uninsured. This other 90 percent has nothing to do with smoking. We all pay enough taxes for them already. Watch out, all you drinkers who plan on voting yes. You're probably next when the state wants more blood money. I don't like it one bit that we're being tricked again into paying for Medicaid.

Thanks for help

I WANT to thank the young man who helped us when our car wouldn't start in Cape Girardeau. He stood in the rain for quite some time with only a short-sleeve shirt on until he got us going. He wouldn't take any pay. I hope he reads this and knows how thankful we are for his help.

Use what we have

I REMEMBER when we use to care about our forest. We were proud of it. Now we want to throw up building after building. It's not that I don't welcome progress, but we ought to be able to do something with what we have to make it better.

Give us choices

I FEEL for teacher Brian White's frustrating position. The problem is compulsory education and the government monopoly on education. When parents and students are forced to center their lives on government schools, they will resent it. The answer is vouchers and giving people choices.