Speak Out 11/22/11

Veterans program

TO the administration, faculty, students and all who helped in any way, thank you for the wonderful Veterans Day program at Jackson High School. With their attitude and enthusiasm, I see amid these young people an ability to do great things. As a veteran, I thankfully can trust this young generation to keep our country great, strong and growing. Thank you.

Thank you

I had a flat tire recently, and this real nice man pulled in right behind me and changed my tire. I want to thank him and say that I appreciate it so much. Also, there were three young men that came out and were going to help me, too. Mr. Martin changed my tire though, and I appreciate that so much. And I appreciate the young men.

Church service

IF you missed church at Hobbs Chapel on Nov. 13, you missed one of the best services ever honoring our veterans. Thanks to all participants and planners of this wonderful service. Thank you, veterans.

Freese comment

THE outrage over the comment comparing David Freese with area high school coaches must have hit a nerve. Speak Out is for people to respond to news items. David Freese's performance and career were news items and rightfully so. A comment was made that his situation is one that occurs far too often. The speaker should not retire. It was an apt comment and was not exploitation.

Water bills

MY water bill used to be $57 a month, and it jumped up to $114. I am not using any more water than I was. It's just the rates have gone up so high. But it's unbelievable that the city of Cape Girardeau wants to rip its citizens off like they do. I can understand a rate increase, but a 30 to 50 percent rate increase for water, are you kidding me?

Grant money

NEARLY every day I look in the paper to see who got a new grant and hardly a day goes by that there isn't one. I see where the city of Jackson received a new firetruck at a cost of $630,000 from FEMA. More tax dollars we can't afford. When is all this going to end? About new jobs, why can't we have the old ones back? They really produced something.

Long-term effects

THEY don't know what they are doing in Washington. They can't see how policy affects things in the long term.

Wage gap

REGARDING the Speak Out comment about the wage gap and the elderly being more wealthy than those younger than 35, does this person think that people who are younger than 35 have made as much money as elderly people have? It needs more figuring. Also, if young people didn't like to charge and spend every dime they get in a paycheck they could save some money, but they are afraid that would be denying themselves.

Joe Paterno

THOSE defending Joe Paterno need to consider that educators and coaches have a legal (not to mention moral) obligation to report all cases of abuse or suspected cases of abuse to the proper authorities. The courts have deemed that in a school setting, an administrator is not the "proper authority." A mental health professional or counselor is an appropriate choice. The police and security personnel are as well.