Speak Out 2/21/09

Can't bear to look

LADY Justice wears a blindfold because she cannot bear to look at the injustices that take place in our courtrooms across the country every day.

Prepaying for fuel

TO customers who complain about having to prepay for fuel at gas stations: Don't get smart with people working at these stations. It's not their fault. Look in the police report every day and you will see at least two or three reports of thefts of gasoline. It's not the employees' fault. It's the people who don't pay for their fuel. Employees don't like this any better than you do. They're not going to overcharge you. If your vehicle doesn't take the full amount you prepaid, they will gladly give you a refund.

Political payoff

THE new stimulus package will include $13-a-week tax break for individuals. In today's economy, that won't even fill up a five-gallon gas can. $780 billion is an astronomical amount of money. I can't even fathom that much money. This sounds more like a political payoff to political allies than a stimulus package.

Using muscle

I loved this headline: "Dems muscle stimulus bill through Congress" -- as if Republicans never do that. George Bush, in 2006, and Republicans pushed things through. That's the way they play the game up there. It's not just the Democrats. Those nice Republicans do it too.

Repaying the debt

WHEN was the last time Washington spent money to reduce the national debt? And when do you think the Washington will take money from its yearly budget to pay down the national debt?

Stimulus plan

LOW-wage earners pay a large portion of their income in taxes. If they were allowed to keep their money, they would spend all of it and boost the economy. Those earning higher wages are more likely to save and invest. This is the kind of stimulus the economy needs.

Balance and reduce

WE are in a relatively mild recession, and there are signs that we're starting to come out of the recession. In January, sales were up a little bit. Things will get better. It's not nearly so bad as the Carter years when we had 10 percent unemployment. The problem is that the government is spending such a huge amount of money. The debt is going to get bigger, and we'll have another recession. That's a real problem. We need to balance the budget and reduce our debt.

Finally free

CONGRATULATIONS to Josh Kezer on finally being proven innocent. Great job, Sheriff Rick Walter, on pushing for correcting this awful thing of stealing 15 years of Josh's life. I pray someone has to repay him for his lost free life.

After the storm

I truly feel for everyone in the Missouri Bootheel who went through the recent ice storm. Jackson and Cape Girardeau County went through this same tragedy in February 2008. I spent one week without electricity. I am still trying to get tree limbs taken down. I am scared every time the wind blows that the limbs are going through my roof and windows. The only so-called help I received was three different scammers wanting at least $1,200 to help with tree damage.

Boys in the road

THE other day I was driving on Old Hopper Road and rounded a curve to find two young boys riding their tricycles in the middle of the road. The parents of these boys should be horrified and ashamed. If I had been speeding or paying less attention, there could have been disastrous consequences.

Animals on the road

IT would be nice if the highway departments would be more proactive in removing animals from the highway. It is painful for animal lovers to see these animals rotting away. No one cares to remove them. It is not the animals' fault they end up on the highway. It is the fault of owners who don't keep their animals in a safe environment.