Speak Out 2/10/04

Blowing the lid off

THE LID to the evil Bush conspiracy is finally blowing off. First we learned that the Cabinet started planning an Iraq invasion the day after Bush took office. Then we learn that there haven't been any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq since 1991. And then, despite the claims that it was faulty intelligence, the CIA director confirms that the White House was never told that Iraq was an imminent threat. Nearly 600 American lives, thousands of Iraqi lives, probably hundreds of thousands of casualties and certainly billions of dollars later it is confirmed that the entire Bush war is a crock.

We want too much

WE CAN easily see why we have fiscal problems in our school districts and local, state and federal governments by the recent events in our area. We all want a balanced budget with no new taxes. However, we also don't want to cut anything that personally affects us. We rally to keep that extra band director, and we couldn't possibly cut a sport or activity that my kid is involved in. The same rings true in government. State Sen. Peter Kinder and state Rep. Jason Crowell are both great advocates of less government and no new taxes, but don't dare close Cottonwood Treatment Center. Every politician has his projects and programs that he protects. Multiply those by every local, state and federal elected official, and you have the mess that has every government entity in the red and screaming for more money. We have got to get back to identifying what we must have within our means versus what we want and think we need.

All God's children

THE LAST time I checked my Bible, all people were God's children, not just Christian Americans.

Computer fallacy

IT HAS yet to be and will likely never be demonstrated that computers in schools in any way enhance academic achievement of students. They're money makers for those who sell them. They're definitely cool. They're loads of fun. But evidence that being wired improves student academic performance is lacking. In fact, though they may have many other uses, computers are counterproductive to increasing student academic success.

Other priorities

I LOOK around and see our failing economy, the thousands of kids being sent to fight a senseless war and schools closing for lack of funds. I wonder how we can be so concerned about Janet Jackson's breast. Do we have nothing else to worry about?

Enjoying tax savings

DUE TO the Bush tax cuts , for the first time ever I see a serious savings in my income taxes this year, I don't give a hoot about the deficit, the environment, the economy or any of the other things you see on the news every day. None of these things affect me or my family. We have a 30-year-old family business and have always made good money. We will be voting for Bush.

University loyalty

GIVEN HIS recent antics in Jefferson City, we now know state Sen. Peter Kinder's favorite universities. The are Southwest Missouri State University and the University of Missouri. Just as soon as he manages to secure $190 million in bonds for Mizzou he will allow the regional state university located in the southwestern part of Missouri to go ahead with its long-desired name change. Did you notice that Southeast Missouri State University is missing from all this? Perhaps Kinder would prefer to move to Columbia or Springfield before the next election, since he seems to be so much more concerned about higher education in those communities than the residents which, in his rise to ever-increasing political power, he has been pretending to represent in Cape Girardeau.

Special pay raises

BEING A state worker for the last 20 years, I know there have been special interests and lobbyists for getting pay raises for certain job classes when others weren't getting any. I really think it's unfair to single out the unions. If the Republicans have a better plan, why don't they submit it in writing?

Saving money

SOMEONE SAID if you moved Cottonwood Treatment Center to Farmington, we'd have empty buildings here. That's true. But the state wouldn't be paying $2 million a year for those empty buildings. The college would have to work out something. We would still save $2 million by making this move.

Save electricity

THIS IS not a criticism of the city but I walk at the Osage Community Centre, which is a very nice facility and very good for Cape Girardeau. I think, though, during the day half the lights could be cut, and there could be quite a savings there.

Enforce speed limit

WHY HAVE posted speed limits if they aren't going to enforce them in Illinois? This is about safety. Even tractor-trailers drive 70 mph through East Cape Girardeau.

Foxy investigation

IT'S IRONIC President Bush is appointing the commission to investigate him on the war in Iraq. Isn't that like the fox investigating the henhouse?

Need treatment

SEX OFFENDERS have a mental defect. They would be the first to admit it. How long are we going to stick our heads in the sand about this? We've got to protect our children from these people. Sex offenders cannot control their urges, so why are they not locked up and treated? How many chances do these innocent children get? These diseases of the mind are real and treatable. They don't just go away.

City budget ideas

SOMETIMES I wonder about our city council's intelligence. Do we not pay to swim in the Capaha Pool? Is this not revenue coming into the city? Tell the police and firefighters not to use the city's vehicles for personal use. That would be a big savings. Quit wasting time on the fireworks controversy. And about leaf collection, go to the park and see what a natural fertilizer leaves are. Just think of the money you could save.