Speak Out 11/10/03

Cairo's finances

DON'T BE fooled by what you see on television these days. Cairo had hundreds of thousands of dollars in resources readily available to make payroll last week. Council members had no say when the mayor snatched a city check and set up a $50,000 account outside the county without their knowledge or consent. The account had been frozen for several months by the courts. Council members have no authority to release those funds. It appeared that the mayor was holding the workers' payday as a hostage to get the council's endorsement of his illegal act. It was a dirty trick on the employees. The city could have paid on time, and the mayor knew it.

No degree needed

YOU DON'T have to be an accountant or have a degree to know when something's wrong. I worked as a prison guard. There was a 23-year-old man who was going to be written up because he didn't do what he was told. Come to find out, he couldn't read. Somebody evidently wasn't doing his job. We don't need a degree to tell teachers that something is wrong.

A sad lesson

HOW SAD the community lesson the student senate at Central High School learns. They learn that those who have the money have the power. How anyone could object to changing the name of Silver Springs Road to Tiger Pride Drive is beyond me. And please, council members and mayor, don't patronize the student senate by making comments that the students have a great impact on the community and you admire their spirit. It was an easy and obvious change to make. It's a sad day for Cape Girardeau when we get an active student senate willing to take on the community and that's how the council responds. I have no vested interest in the school district whatsoever. I am just a community member who is stunned that our young people have to learn a lesson that money is power.

You blew it

WELL, HEIDI Hall, you blew it when you said buy all your friends and relatives liquor for Christmas. Do you have any idea what you just said? Do you want to make more alcoholics out there? We've got enough. We need to stop that. Shame on you. I don't think you really meant that.

Career center's stand

VOTERS IN THE Cape Girardeau School District approved a $14 million bond issue in 1997 to build the Career and Technology Center and Blanchard Elementary School. For the superintendent and the director of the center to say it is a regional facility and Central High School signage is not appropriate on the campus of the career center outrages me as a taxpayer. Since the career center doesn't feel like it's part of school district, maybe the district should let the outside schools foot the bill.

Locating streets

IT LOOKS like the Cape Girardeau City Council has decided not to listen to the voice of the community. The council members turned their tails and ran again on the issue of renaming the street in front of Central High School. There are at least a dozen streets in the city that are completely messed up. You have Montgomery Street that's divided in two places. You have Louisiana. You have College. The list goes on and on. But we know where these streets are, and we find them.

Messed-up streets

WE HAVE Whitener Street at both ends of town. The same is true for Themis. We have a West End Boulevard, North West End Boulevard and South West End Boulevard. We have a West Cape Rock and a North Cape Rock. And the police are going to get confused if they change a small stretch of road to Tiger Pride Drive? As far as the city council listening to property owners, since when does that happen? Oh, yeah, when students want to show their pride.

Costly hearing

IS IT necessary to continue the PSC natural gas hearings regarding the proposed $26.7 million increase by AmerenUE? The recent article indicated two PSC commissioners and their staff met with four interested people at the Show Me Center. What was accomplished, and at what expense, to advise people that a rate increase was proposed? Realistically, the $16.72 average monthly increase is comparable to a fast-food meal for a family of four. If this is excessive, consider that the average increase does not apply to everyone but is based on usage and dependent on the size house and thermostat settings. The cost of living has increased each year. And heating costs are no exception.

Medical treatment

I'D JUST like to ask what doctors learn when they go to medical school. The doctor says, "Well, I'm going to send you to so and so and then I want some tests made." He doesn't listen to your heart. He doesn't take your temperature. He doesn't get his hands on you. And you get a big bill from him. Years ago, the doctor took your temperature, felt all over your body, talked to you, spent time with you and gave you some medicine. I think we need to look into what is going on in the medical practice.

Career suicide

WHILE WATCHING the CMA Awards, there was derogatory remark made by Brad Paisley about Johnny Cash. I'll have Paisley know that Johnny Cash and his music will live on forever. After that remark by Paisley, I'm afraid he may have just committed career suicide.

Prayer for healing

I UNDERSTAND Rush Limbaugh is scheduled to be back on the air Nov. 17. May God bless him and make him whole. May God heal him and make him great again.

Teach an extra class

THERE'S A big hassle at SEMO on what to cut to save money, athletics or academic programs, which is a never-ending argument. Did anyone ever consider that the best way to save money would be to have the professors teach just one more hour a week?