OpinionDecember 29, 2006
Speak Out 12/29/06
Schaffner's music; Talking to recordings; Wasting money; Thanks for the gas; A $50 surprise; Wonderful inspiration; Washboard alley; Library plan; Triple tariff; Winter view; Running red lights; Small-town manners?; We need winners; Too many inmates
Schaffner's music
I FOUND Matt Sanders apology on classical music to be quite humorous. He still doesn't seem to understand what's going on in this area. He gives Mr. Schaffner, the orchestra leader at Central High School, brief coverage when Mr. Schaffner has taught hundreds of children over the years and did wonderful job with it. Also, Mr. Schaffner does not play with a rock band. He has a group called Manitou one of the most highly in demand dance orchestras in this area.
Talking to recordings
FOR PEOPLE who think we have it so good now, remember when you could directly dial a movie theater and actually get a person and not a recording? I think it's sad times that we live in. Instead of progressing, in some ways we are put to more of the hassle. Instead of moving forward, we're taking three steps back. Even when you call the unemployment office you get recordings instead of a person.
Wasting money
CAPE GIRARDEAU should have spent tens of thousands of dollars for a consulting firm to get better medical insurance for its employees. City officials don't have the common sense to pick up the phone and figure out problems for themselves. Cape is a wasteful city when it comes to taxpayers' money.
Thanks for the gas
I'D LIKE to thank the person at the Rhodes gas station on Friday who paid for my gas. I think that was a wonderful thing. You made my Christmas special. Thank you again.
A $50 surprise
I WENT to K-Mart, and a man came up to me and gave me $50 and wished me Merry Christmas. I didn't know what to say except merry Christmas and thank you. I'm on a fixed income, so thank you very much.
Wonderful inspiration
THANK YOU for printing the Christmas story by Jean Bell Mosley, I really miss her Sunday columns. She was a wonderful inspiration to us all.
Washboard alley
THANK YOU to the Missouri Department of Transportation and all the men and women who work there for the resurfacing the highways. They are so smooth. I wish the city would do the same thing for the 2400 block of Janet Drive next to Alma Schrader Elementary School. It is like washboard alley.
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Library plan
I CAN'T believe the $9 million expansion proposed by the Cape Girardeau Public Library. This proposal would cost homeowners another onerous increase in taxes. City leaders are already picking our pockets with outlandish spending, such as the restoration of part of the old bridge, a project few, if any, will use. The library is more than adequate. I use it at least four times a week. There is plenty of space. If there are four or five people in the large reading room, two or three will be reading newspapers, and the rest will be taking a nap in the plush chairs or couches. There are enough computers to make any university envious. If you care about obscene taxes, do something about it. This is one of the most absurd proposals voters have ever been asked to approve.
Triple tariff
THE PEOPLE who take their companies to Mexico for cheaper labor should have to pay triple to bring their goods back into the U.S. for us to buy. It's time the American people look out for themselves. It's getting ridiculous.
Winter view
WINTER IS a great time to visit Riverfront Park in Cape Girardeau. Try it and see.
Running red lights
IT'S ABOUT time that Cape Girardeau installs cameras at major intersections to catch people running red lights. It would reinforce the idea that green means go, yellow means yield and red means stop. It's to the point that green means go, yellow means go faster and just a hint of red means step on it.
Small-town manners?
IN THE weeks prior to Christmas, I took my children shopping several times so they could buy gifts. My children aren't perfect angels, and I'm not trying to portray them as such. But they do have good manners and always open doors for other people, allowing them to go through first. I always stand to the side, waiting for the others to go through, and then I go with my child. It has shocked me that in the last few weeks, in the numerous times this has happened, not a single person has said thank you for the courtesy extended. Each woman, regardless of age, has breezed through the door without a smile. One woman did nod. Two of the men raised their hands in a slight wave. We think we're really different from big-city people here. We're not. I took my son to shop in a big city. When he opened doors there, people routinely smiled and thanked him. So much for the friendliness and manners of smaller-town living.
We need winners
WHAT A crock. Time magazine has taken political correctness to a new low. The "all of us" are winners idea is ridiculous. Do we all get participation ribbons? In life there are winners and there are losers. That is just the way of it. Victory and prestige go to those who work harder, persevere and make a difference in the world. Shall we call the 2008 presidential election a draw and avoid any hurt feelings that being a loser might cause? Maybe there could be a co-presidency and we could all join hands and sing campfire songs. We need winners. They are our heroes. They inspire us and encourage us to be better. Time's idea is silly.
Too many inmates
IF GOV. Matt Blunt is going to try to keep state employment under 60,000, he had better rethink DWIs to include controlled substances. Our prisons are overcrowded. Where is he going put all the additional prisoners and not hire additional people to maintain safety? He should be looking for ways to decriminalize drug use and look for alternatives for non-violent offenders, such as house arrest and community service.
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