Speak Out 12/04/03

Violates federal law

DON DICKERSON, president of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents, and university president Ken Dobbins may be able to ignore faculty, staff, the electorate and local business leaders on issues like the River Campus, but their early retirement proposal is clearly a violation of federal pension law. Not even public employers can discriminate in an ad hoc awarding of benefits from a defined contribution program. SEMO faculty members should retain a lawyer without fear of reprisal from what is often a vindictive and mean-spirited SEMO administration.

Turn the other cheek

I GUESS by today's standards, Jesus Christ himself would be called a liberal, appeaser or wimp. His stance of "turn the other cheek" must not sit well with hawkish conservatives.

Preposterous claim

PRESIDENT BUSH'S insistence that occupying Iraq is central to the war on terrorism grows more preposterous by the day. Saddam Hussein has disappeared, but the much larger evil of al-Qaida has been lethally busy in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Meanwhile, Osama bin Laden himself is still alive and making dire threats. He's certainly not in Iraq, and nothing that happens in Iraq will bring us closer to catching him.

Political tactic

IT IS my thinking that George W. Bush went to Baghdad to take some of the heat off his rear. Many others saw it as a cheap political tactic.

It's about authority

SOMEONE WHO tells us that the "public only needs to know the final product of our considerations" in reference to the expenditure of public school tax money is an authoritarian tyrant wannabe.

Guns trump butter

SPENDING TAXPAYER money to stabilize Iraq is currently more important to our national security than spending it on saving seniors a few cents on prescription drugs. Guns must take priority over butter.

Great parade

I JUST got home from watching the Christmas parade. It was wonderful. I want to thank all of those who participated, those who are sponsors and those who organized this event. I think it's nice for the community and especially for the children. I'm an old man. I enjoyed it too.

Reassessment increases

I WAS reading the article concerning Cape Girardeau's financial situation. I thought maybe there should be a tax increase. Then I remembered that every two years our real estate is reassessed for tax purposes. That took my mind off any additional tax increases. It's hard to justify a tax increase when you know every two years the taxes on your home is going to go up because of reassessment. Sorry.

East-west route is best

WITH THE dedication of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, there's going to be a big push to make it part of the Interstate 66 project. If we really want the I-66 project to work as a east-west corridor, it really needs to go along U.S. 60 not go north to Cape Girardeau and then back south to Paducah. I encourage you to think about the real future of Southeast Missouri and support the I-66 project to go east and west.

Motoring trash

SHAME ON the Scott City woman who threw trash from her car tied in a plastic bag. Does she not have a trash can at home? Maybe Santa should bring her one.

Courthouse religion

OUR COUNTRY was established with freedom of religion, but I'll bet when courthouses were first put in, the Ten Commandments or religious sayings were on display. I would like to know how many buildings in the 1800s had this and compare it to 2000. I think it helps criminals and their families go straight and choose to do the right thing if they see the Ten Commandments posted.