Speak Out 12/14/03

Changing stripes

THE DICTIONARY definition of conservative as quoted in Speak Out confirms that today's conservatives have thrown caution to the wind and are in large part committed to change, even radical change. Two examples would be the Republican-led gargantuan expansion of Medicare and the desire to use virtually any means necessary to make the world safe for democracy. In other words, conservatives have become liberals and vice versa.

Flat tax for vehicles

WHY DON'T lawmakers put their money where their mouths are? Taxes on vehicles are way too high. We need to have a flat tax of $300.

Helping a needy man

THE PERSON who tried to tell the difference between a liberal and a conservative was wrong. In the real world, a conservative sees a needy man walking down the street and gives him five bucks for a meal. But the liberal comes up to the conservative and holds a gun to his head and takes $10 out of his pocket and gives it to the needy man for a meal and cigarettes -- and then brags to the needy man how sensitive to his needs he is.

Keeping commandments

THE LAW of love? Please take a look at the book of Matthew in your Bible. A young man came to Jesus and asked, "Good, sir, how must I be saved?" And Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? Who is good?" Then he proceeded to tell the young man that goodness is judged by the keeping of the Ten Commandments. And he tells us that we will be judged by them. When Jesus talks about the path to righteousness being narrow, he also mentions that many will come to him and cry out "Lord, Lord" but he will say to them, "Depart from me, you transgressor of iniquity." What will Jesus say to you when you say, "Lord, Lord"?

Cuts: Band or mural?

WHY DOES a band director have to be cut from the budget? I am a member of the Central High School band. We need all three directors. Our band is too big for just two teachers. The arts program is what we are going to remember for the rest of our lives. Am I going to remember a mural that cost $2,000? If the school board is looking for ways to save money, there it is.

Pay for bus rides

SO BUDGET cuts are forcing the Cape Girardeau School District to consider having Central High School students pay a participation fee for extracurricular activities. This is a great idea. How about having them pay a fee to ride the bus to and from school? This would help the budget tremendously.

Time for support

IT'S TIME to support our local school district. Since the end of the Civil War when the public schools first began in Cape Girardeau, the community has not given its full support. It's time to make our kids the priority by funding our local district.

Ideas switched

I WAS a member of the so-called task force in the Cape Girardeau School District. We were told there were no preconceptions. I did not believe it then, and I do not believe it now. Some of the recommendations that were least became first. I thought we were to gather and discuss priorities. One big item was the overstaffing at the central office. This was a fraud.

Run city like business

THE NEWSPAPER'S stories about turnover and low pay in the police department are not news. These problems have existed for decades. Police salaries are low everywhere. So are salaries for teachers, nurses, construction workers, truck drivers and many others. Perhaps it is time for city management to do what it is supposed to do: manage. In the real world, business owners are faced with difficult financial times and have to make tough decisions to preserve their businesses. Our mayor campaigned on the promise of running the city like a business. Now he says you cannot run a city like a business. What is that supposed to mean? An experienced business owner could find ways to balance the city's budget, and not on the backs of taxpayers.

Cut the mileage

MAYBE INSTEAD of sending a fire engine to medical calls, the Cape Girardeau Fire Department could buy a van and not burn miles on $350,000 fire engines.