Speak Out 2/22/07

Need health care

NATIONAL HEALTH care is something this country should have done a long time ago. I don't understand why the richest country can't do that. All the bosses we work for are more worried about lining their pockets instead of helping their devoted employees.

Win or get out

DEMOCRATS ARE saying we are losing this war, yet when asked what we should be doing differently, they say nothing. They are looking to bring back our soldiers on a far distant timeline. If we really think we are losing, we should do whatever it takes to win or get out now.

Sirens in Cape

I AM still waiting for storm sirens in Cape Girardeau, rotating or not. I don't even care if they are fixed facing billboards.

End of the story

THANK YOU for the online poll results. No matter what we vote on, it's always great to see the end of the story. Allowing comments (and printing them) is a super idea.

Variable tips

HOW DOES the Department of Labor think employers should monitor wait staff to make sure their wages plus tips equal minimum wage? That's about as silly as the IRS policy of figuring the percentage of an employee's food sales totals to estimate tips. Depending upon the restaurant and the mood of the patrons, tips can and do vary greatly.

Cost of coins

PERHAPS I've missed it, but I have never read what it costs the taxpayers for our government to issue new coins. It must be a pretty good chunk of money. The dollar coins were a fiasco from the beginning and will continue to be, unless the government does away with the dollar bill.

Hot issue

LIKE MOST things, if you do not read and understand both sides of the global-warming issue, you cannot honestly make a decision about whether or not to believe it. Unfortunately, the subject is being used for political and monetary purposes. If you believe we are causing global warming and are fanatical about curing the problem as presented, you must be willing to give up your automobiles, airplane trips, barbecue grills and, in many cases, your electricity and heating fuel.

Seat-belt laws

WE'RE TOLD that this is a free country, but we're told to wear a seat belt. I don't call that being free. I should be able to decide if I want to wear it or not. Using a seat belt should be my own choice, not the government's. We don't need more seat-belt laws.

Political discourse

WHEN TWO political leaders are in conflict and both use a hammer, the people will suffer greatly. It is my opinion that the adult life of a spiritual person is to learn how to resolve conflict. Diplomatic speech and using reason are the most desirable vehicles to meet that end. When loud speech or force is utilized, problems multiply. It is the last resort of any serious spiritual person to fight.

Safety rules

YOU HAVE to obey OSHA laws whether you want to or not. I'm reading the Southeast Missourian quoting people saying they don't know why the ditch collapsed. The man was in a 12-foot-deep ditch. According to OSHA rules, that ditch should have been propped. I worked in Chicago for years. If we had done stuff like that, we'd have been put out of business.

Global changes

I DON'T think anyone would say that humans haven't had an effect on global warming. But before there were enough humans and definitely no industry, there were changes in atmosphere and temperature.

Downtown lights

THE NEW lights downtown are nice, but I was wondering where all the downtown merchants were to help pay the bill. I noticed all the banks and Wal-Mart and the Southeast Missourian, but no downtown stores. What's their story?

School concerns

THIS IS what parents of students put up with from the school district. We are told to buy school supplies, but half of them are never used. Our children are given assignments to punish a few who act up in class. A resource officer screams at students. Every time you turn around there's a substitute in the classroom. They don't appreciate students who respect them. They get no free periods. Students grade their own papers. Sometimes there are three to four hours of homework at night. You get a hateful letter when your child misses three days or more, but it's all right for teachers to take vacation during the school year. I would be curious to know how much the Cape Girardeau School District spends on substitutes and postage during a school year. The school board obviously doesn't care.

Selling forests

PRESIDENT BUSH is trying to sell 22,000 acres of Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest. The administration tried to do this last year, and there was a public outcry because the money was not going to balance what we are losing from our natural resources. We need to protest this.

Government-on-demand

ISN'T IT funny what some people deem to be important issues? All kinds of irate comments about loss of personal freedoms are made over something as inconsequential and unimportant as seat-belt laws. Yet when the president wanted to return some freedoms to us -- the right to keep some of our own money to plan for our own retirements -- it was all about "Oh, no, the government is supposed to do that."

Expensive lights

I WOULD like to see the breakdown on the cost and installation of the nine street lamps for $53,500. This seems like an exorbitant amount.

Balloons in trash

ATTENTION CAR dealers: The balloons are festive, but when it's time to replace them, please do not cut them loose and let them float away. How hard is it to pop them and put them in the trash? We live near a car dealer, and the balloons end up in our yard and trees. That's littering, and it's against the law. All those balloons are also a hazard to wildlife who eat them, strings and all. Please be considerate of your neighbors and wildlife.