Speak Out 2/12/08

Check the water

CHAFFEE HAS had problems with police and council members for the last 50 years that I know of. There must be something in the water in Chaffee.

Jackson speeding

REGARDING THE speeders on Jackson Boulevard early in the mornings: It goes on all day. I use the new part of Highway 34/72 all day in my job, and I'm scared to death most days. Drivers of those big rigs act like they are on a runway. I got behind one and tried to stay up with him. The speed limit is 40 mph. I backed off after reaching 65 mph. I never see the police except around Jackson High School.

Helping children

I READ that the Family Resource Center in Cape Girardeau might have to stop the after-school program because of noncompliance issues. Cape Girardeau can help businesses such as NARS and the university can landscape the area around the college, but there is no help for a program that might help children who very much need a service like this. People are donating billions to the politicians but no one can come up with either the money or an alternative for this program. Shame on you all.

Vicious assault

COLUMNIST KATHRYN Lopez reminded readers of Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment, not to attack fellow Republicans, while unleashing a vicious assault on a fellow Republican.

Teachers' moolah

I DON'T believe low pay causes teachers to leave the education field, but many younger and motivated teachers may move to schools that pay much more. Pay rates are public information. Usually, the more violent and lower-performing schools are the ones that pay the most moolah to draw teachers in. Inner-city teachers can make $60,000-plus.

No callback

I'D LIKE to know why employers at a job interview alway say they are going to call you back within a day or two, but then they never call. Why is there no consideration given to the applicants? If you're not going to call, why bother giving false hope?

Radio schlock

I THINK all of the crude antics of right-wing radio talk-show hosts eventually got on the nerves of citizens so much that a counter-revolution against these radio schlockmeisters caused the demise of Reagan conservatism.

Dreadfully wrong

I HAVE rarely if ever disagreed with the political wisdom expressed by Michael Jensen, esteemed publisher of Sikeston's Standard Democrat. However, when it comes to his paean to U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson for exercising political wisdom not to run for Missouri governor, Jensen went dreadfully wrong. Part of his rationale was that Emerson will be better able to serve our interests by remaining in the U.S. House. But, with Democrats poised to pick up an additional 25 to 30 seats in the U.S. House, Emerson (even as highly skilled and influential as she is) will likely be rendered unable to do much for our congressional district. In addition, Emerson probably stood the best chance for the Republicans to elect the next governor of Missouri. Finally, the usually aboveboard, straight-shooting Jensen would seem to be less than that in the sense that it is a little kept secret that the powerful and power broking Sikeston-based journalist harbors fond feeling for Jay Nixon, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Missouri governor. Still, none of this should lessen Jensen's status as an editorialist second to none.

Not so old

THIS IS for the person who talked about the elderly who are 50 years old. Fifty is not elderly.

Pedestrian rules

THERE'S BEEN a debate about who has the right of way: drivers or walkers. Someone posted the statute but misinterpreted it. Here it is again: "300.375. 1. When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger." Notice it says that the driver should yield to a walker "crossing" the roadway "within a crosswalk." That means if the walker is already in the road, the driver should stop. It does not mean that drivers are to stop for people standing on the sidewalk and allow them to cross. The law also says pedestrians are not to walk out into the roadway. Seems to me the law clearly says that pedestrians are to wait, not the other way around.

Profits per person

LET'S TALK about those horrible oil-company profits. From the 2000 census: There were approximately 120 million licensed drivers in the U.S. There are 52 weeks in the year. The media made a big deal about the oil companies making $42 billion in profits last year. Some math: $42 billion divided by 122 million drivers equals $350 per driver last year. $350 per driver divided by 52 weeks per year equals $6.74 per driver per week. Most of us spend more than that on one of our weekly visits to Burger King. And that makes the assumption that all the profits came from the sale of fuel, which is false. Some came from the sale of old equipment and property and some from the sale of petroleum products other than fuel -- plastics, for example. Oil companies deal in the most demanded commodity in the world. Why do we want to deny others the right to make a profit? I know it is the scale of the profits that makes people think these companies are evil, but they also employ hundreds of thousands of people around the country.