Speak Out 2/11/06

Great performance

KUDOS TO the cast of "Steel Magnolias" at Central High School. I could not believe these young women were just sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school. They portrayed their parts excellently and brought tears to my eyes. Director Cindy Bradshaw did a great job with these girls. Thank you.

Spend on the kids

I HAVE an idea for a new welcome sign for Cape Girardeau: "Welcome to the City of Sidewalks and New Fire Stations." Paying thousands of dollars for a little over an acre of land for a new fire station is stupid when the city has nothing for children to do that they can afford. The population doesn't increase because future citizens don't want to be taxed to death.

Sugar warning

IN THE early 1900s diabetes was virtually unheard of. The average American consumed 5 pounds of sugar a year. Today we consume an average of 150 pounds of sugar a year. And diabetes has turned into a national health pandemic. But I don't ever recall seeing a warning label on a bag of sugar.

Test for drugs

I LIKE the idea of testing all citizens for illegal drugs, which have become the largest problem in society today. If you're not doing anything wrong, you would have nothing to fear.

Spending priorities

I SEE where the president wants to spend $120 billion more on his wars and only $18 billion for people in the South who are living in tents with no clothes. There is no point in our spending all this money and seeing our people die. This is ridiculous. We have to do something.

County P&Z

I READ Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones' comment about crazy people at planning and zoning meetings. His comment was rude and crude. We were at those meetings to keep bureaucrats like him out of our lives, and we succeeded.

Building imagery

HAVING BEEN away from Cape Girardeau for over nine months, it was pleasant surprise to see our new federal building. It's much larger and even more beautiful than I imagined. I don't know whether it was the angle of the sun or the way I was standing, but it looked a little like a pork barrel. It was probably just my imagination.

Guns in the home

IN OUR home, guns aren't locked up. They don't need to be if you raise your children correctly.

Train speeds

I'M A BNSS railroad engineer. Our trains go 20 miles per hour through some towns, and most of our trains are a mile long. It takes maybe 3 or 4 minutes at the most to get through a town. In some towns we go 50 mph.

Fix the roads

WHEN DO you think Cape Girardeau is going to stop worrying about putting up buildings and start fixing the roads?

Competition for boys

THIS IS a comment about boys falling behind in school. In the past, boys in school could coast along with minimum effort and still expect to get a good job later in life. Now that it's been shown that women can do these jobs as well or better than men, there is more competition. Boys better wake up and start putting forth more effort if they don't women to hold even more of the top jobs.

Pick up trash first

I SEE where Cape Girardeau is wasting thousands of dollars on beautifying the Route K entrance off I-55. There is trash everywhere at that exit. The city ought to spend a little of that money picking up some trash before it wastes it.

Classic column

THE HE SAID/she said column is always good reading, but the Feb. 5 column was a classic. I've read it over and over and sent copies to my daughter and son who are trying to raise two children in today's rough world.