Speak Out 2/10/12

Congrats to Essner

CONGRATULATIONS to Cape Girardeau's Danny Essner for winning the Rush Limbaugh award. He is a nice man but at the same time willing to take on entrenched, often hostile interests in fighting for the overall well-being of the community. I am thinking particularly of his unceasing efforts to help bring the casino to Cape Girardeau.

Tax warning

HERE is a caution for small businessmen who fill out their own Form 9-40 federal unemployment tax. The state of Missouri borrowed money for unemployment from the federal government and has not paid it back. Because of that, all small businesses have to pay a surcharge to the federal government and pay extra. It's on a different form. You've got find it and schedule a Form 9-40. You better talk to your accountant and see whether it applies. I don't know whether we have to pay it or not, but be careful.

Cape Splash

I believe it would be good if Cape Girardeau would give some thought of adding a wave at the Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center. That would encourage some that go to the other parks to stay here in Cape Girardeau. If they didn't have the expense of gas, they could use Cape Splash more often. Hopefully the weather will be more normal this coming summer and it can get back to full swing like it did the first year. I believe this could be a win-win deal.

Excellent program

THE Theatre and Dance Extravaganza was absolutely sensational. Such talent in that department. Many of those students have bright futures as actors, and we get to watch them grow in our backyard. Thank you to the faculty in the Department of Theatre and Dance. You have one of the top programs at Southeast. Everyone needs to go see "The Pajama Game" at the River Campus when it opens in late February. You simply won't believe this is being produced in Cape Girardeau.

Truck weights

REPUBLICANS are pushing a new bill for the highways to repair them. But they are also going to allow bigger and heavier trucks. States could permit trucks weighing up to 97,000 pounds -- and in some cases as much as 126,000 pounds -- on interstate highways under the bill. The current limit is 80,000 pounds in most states. Increased weight limits are supported by the trucking industry but opposed by safety advocates. The bigger trucks will destroy the highways faster than they can be repaired.

Insider trading

THEY are talking about passing a bill to stop inside trading by Congress and the Senate. Now Rep. Eric Cantor wants to include the executive branch, as if the people there would be the ones to watch. They can pass a bill but it will do no good. The greedy members of Congress will only pass on the inside trading information to their many friends who are millionaires and billionaires. They will still get kickbacks and their big political contributions.

Broadway parking

I hope Cape Girardeau officials look at the parking problem in the 300 and 400 block of Broadway. I understand 150 state employees have given up a second parking lot to the casino people, so the majority of them have moved to both sides of the street of Broadway, which is taking up parking spaces for the businesses. The state only has one parking lot now, which is full with the overflow parking on both sides of Broadway. If the city restricts parking on the north side of Broadway, then a big parking problem is only going to get worse. Both sides of Broadway need to be available for parking.

Branson shows

I wish they'd show TV shows from the shows in Branson, Mo.

Shorter session

A Missouri senator called for the legislative session to end about two months early to save money. That is a wonderful idea if they are also giving up that two months' pay. If not, then it will be more costly and give them more vacation time. I doubt if they will be giving up anything, as they are too greedy and always trying to figure out how to get more. They should be raising the taxes on the millionaires and billionaires, but they won't as they are benefiting from them.

Deer add beauty

DEER add beauty and grace to this old town. You never see deer going by your house and throwing beer bottles in your yard or littering the parks. The most destructive force in Cape Girardeau is the people who live here.