Speak Out 10/5/10

Love downtown?

ONE of the people who spoke at the casino hearing said Cape Girardeau residents love downtown. If that were the case, they would support it by shopping and eating there. The stores would not be struggling, there wouldn't be empty storefronts and the restaurants would be packed to the gills every night they're open.

Tax increase

THANKS to the Obama, Reid and Pelosi triumvirate, you can now get ready for the largest tax increase in the history of the country. If you think the recession is about over, this will prolong it for who knows how long.

Casino poetry

THE Isle of Capri is not for me,

A gambling man I'll never be;

Work hard for my pay but don't make lots,

Can't spare any quarters for coin-hungry slots.

*** Dyno blasts

DYNO Nobel in Wolf Lake, Ill., does test its product several times a month with relatively low-level detonations. I deliver to the plant and hear the explosions on many of my trips.

Follow the rules

WHEN you turn onto a four lane street, if you are making a left, you turn into the left lane, and if you are turning right you turn into the right lane. People in Cape Girardeau are so lax that no one follows these rules of the road.

Quarry a good thing

EVERY quarry is a gold mine for any area. A quarry would help many professionals and their families along with local businesses. The health hazard of limestone is so low that it's less than the dust created by farming and gravel roads.

Teacher bashing

AS a teacher, I love seeing my students succeed. It is such a rewarding job. However, I am starting to feel like it is a lose-lose situation. We are bashed when our students don't make AYP on the MAP test, and we are bashed when we punish a student for making poor choices while trying to teach the curriculum. If a classroom is constantly being disrupted by a student, that student needs to be punished. It isn't fair to the rest of the students in the class.

Unfair trade

ALTHOUGH I will probably vote for Rep. Jo Ann Emerson again, I do not support voting for lower taxes for overseas imports and wanting to open up overseas trade. She says this is good for Cape Girardeau. Tell that to the workers of Blue Cross Blue Shield and Dana Corp. If both the Republicans and Democrats keep opening up unfair trade, we will not have any factories left in America in 10 years.

Casino security

THE majority of people who go to a casino are retirees. The casinos have very tight security, and anyone causing trouble is ejected. With all the factory jobs lost to overseas companies, I would think one would welcome new jobs to our area.

Choose words wisely

IF we all took the time and actually thought about how our words could hurt others, then maybe this world would be a better place. I challenge you to bite your tongue the next time you have a bad day or don't know the full facts of a story.

Great performance

"ONCE on This Island" was absolutely fantastic. We've seen most of the shows at the River Campus over the past four years, and this show was the best one yet. We are so lucky to have such quality professional theater in this town. This was a must see for everybody, from children to grandparents. It touches every emotional chord you have.