Speak Out 10/30/08

Pulpit politics

AS A lifelong church member for almost 70 years, I am appalled by the continual attempts from the pulpit to influence the vote. This election is too important to allow ourselves to be blindly guided. It would be completely irresponsible to vote for someone just because she or he is anti-abortion. We need to think of the whole picture and the possible worldwide consequences of our choice.

Failing surface

REGARDING THE county chip-and-seal program. In northern Cape Girardeau County, the chip-and-seal surface already is breaking up. County crews are using tax dollars to repair it. It's a terrible mess. It's a shame we did something like that.

Poor service

I CALLED five county offices, including the commissioners' office, and got nothing but recorded messages. I was trying to get a simple question answered before I made a trip to the courthouse. I can't believe, after having been in several county offices, that everyone was so busy a single person wasn't available to answer the phone. This is a great example of unbelievably poor public service at the county level.

Liquor at the movies

REGARDING THE liquor license sought by the movie theater: I don't feel that it's a big problem with children in the theater under the age of 18. There are children under the age of 18 at bowling alleys and other places that have liquor.

Too long on the bus

MY Children are on the bus at 6:30 in the morning and do not get home until almost 5 in the afternoon in the Jackson School District. Something needs to be done for these children. They should be allowed to have snacks on the bus. That is a long day. The district needs more bus drivers or shorter routes.

Squirrels take pecans

I'M WONDERING what we can do about the squirrel problem in the city. I've got about 30 pecan trees. They're really bearing, and I've got about 20 squirrels that are taking care of them. I don't know what we can do about it. I wish there was something the Department of Conservation would recommend. I've got a few traps set, but they don't work. I'm losing all my pecans because the squirrels are eating them.

Misplaced news

WE HAVE always taken the Southeast Missourian. It's always been in our home because we wanted to know the news. I've noticed two different days in which we've had ugly Halloween masks on the front page. Put that on the funny page where it belongs. And ball scores have taken the front-page headlines too. That should be on the Sports page.

Different movie

I THOUGHT Steve Turner's review of "W." was off base. He must have been watching a different movie than I saw. The movie was like a mild Michael Moore movie, making fun of our president. I thought the movie was weak. "Appaloosa" is a much better movie. Steven Spielberg's movies don't put you to sleep.

Fair and balanced?

THE VICE president comes to Cape Girardeau and you have one picture of him getting off the plane. A has-been hippy singer comes to the Democratic headquarters and you have a picture and a long article. Where does that fall under fair and balanced reporting?

Overseas jobs

PEOPLE SEEM to blame the politicians for sending jobs overseas. I have a different opinion. People buying overseas products is what kept the jobs over there.

Health warning

I HOPE everybody read Walter Williams' column about health care. Read this article to find out what you're going to experience if we have nationalized health care. Everybody is going to be very disappointed. It's not going to be anything like their imagination tells them it's going to be.

Health costs

HEALTH CARE IS a big issue in the campaign. At least one presidential and several state candidates say they will stand up to the insurance companies. Nothing was said about standing up to hospitals, doctors and drug companies who send their bills to be paid by the insurance company. It seems little effort is made to hold down costs. One not-for-profit large hospital in St. Louis is reported to take in $236 million more it than it spent last year. Prices go up 10 to 15 percent a year.

Make them pay

ALL THE yard and garage sale signs left on the courthouse square across from the post office on Sunday morning make is look like the city's trash that hasn't been picked up. The police ought to collect those signs on Sunday morning, take them to the address on the sign and collect $5 for the extra work. The person who put the sign there should have sold enough to give the city $5 without any objection.

Correct change

I WAS eating at a local establishment with a group. There were 10 or more in our party, so the gratuity of 18 percent was added on to each bill. Three of us opted to pay with cash. When our change was brought back by our waiter, none of us had the correct change. All had been given even money. When he came back I asked the waiter if it was a policy of the establishment not to give correct change. He said that was his decision. He gave us back our change. When I went out, I approached the hostess and asked if that was a company policy. She said it was an individual decision by each waiter or waitress. She said a lot of people do not like to bother with change. I'll take all the change I can get. This amounts to thievery.

Balky light

THE STOPLIGHT at Sprigg Street and Normal Avenue doesn't work properly. When I come home going east on Normal Avenue trying to cross Sprigg Street, the light will not change, even if no one is coming. I have sat in the turn lane and in the straight lane, and it will not change. Please correct it so I don't have to run a red light and risk getting a ticket.

Winning band

CONGRATULATIONS TO the Tigers Marching Band and their teachers on winning first place in their division in the St. Louis competition. They are a talented and dedicated group of young people who have worked very hard to perfect their performance. They represented our city well, and I am proud to be a supporter and a band grandma.

Special funding

AS A school district employee, I'm confused by the complaining by teachers and administrators every time test results come back. They talk about how the special-needs students and the low-income students as indicated by free and reduced lunch and some other factors. They say their scores hurt them and that they're being judged based on these students who bring their scores down. These same students are a major source of income. School districts receive tons of money because of special-needs students and low-income students. You can't have it both ways. If you don't want their scores to count, then you shouldn't get any money for them either.

No gambling

OUR DOWNTOWN is alive. All you have to do is drive downtown on a weekend night and try to get a parking space. People are dining out, and going to bars. Gamblers won't help downtown, because they get on a boat. Money from gambling goes for making the casino owner richer. Ordinary people are left with no money, which means businesses dry up. Cape Girardeau is a growing city. We don't need the gambling money. Cape Girardeau is a true gem of a city and it doesn't have to sink to a state of despair to bring in dirty money.

Accelerated reading

AS A retired reading specialist for 23 years I was amazed at the criticism leveled against the accelerated reading program in the schools. This program has done more to encourage children to read than any single program in my 30 years of teaching children to read. Reading, like any other skill, requires practice. The more a child reads, the better reader he will become. The 10 to 25 questions the child must answer on the computer is to check his comprehension, which supplies the teacher with valuable information on the student's strengths and weaknesses. The program sets each child at his own individualized reading level and moves him up as his comprehension improves. This program is used in addition to the regular reading groups. I can't say why the junior high student's reading performance isn't what it should be, but to blame teachers for using this wonderful program is simply wrong. Reading is the most important subject in school, and the teachers are doing everything they can to promote it. I hope the complaining parent is doing likewise.