Speak Out 2/23/07

Health coverage

IT IS getting old listening to people complain about employers not providing affordable health care. Since when is it the employer's responsibility to make sure you have coverage? We are self-employed, so we have private insurance. We are the only employees. We pay over $660 a month for a policy that has a $2,500 deductible for each of us. How do we afford it? We scrimp on other things. We would rather have health insurance than luxury items like expensive cars and a house we can barely afford. Health care will never get cheaper, so either make it a priority to watch out for yourself or prepare to suffer the inevitable consequences.

Stunning news

THE MOST stunning state and local developments in the four months or so have been the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series and Cape Girardeau's passage of a world-class public library proposal.

Absent senator

WAY TO go, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond. In a recently released list of most absent senators in 2006, Bond was fourth.

Coats and hats

I WOULD like to know what is wrong with parents who don't put coats and hats on their children. In parenting classes they teach you to dress you child as you are or one more piece of clothing.

No leadership

YOUR DEFINITION of a leader is different from mine. You did two pieces on black leaders. These were blacks in higher positions, but not leaders. A leader would be going back to the black community and trying to encourage other blacks to better themselves by attending school. Where is the leadership?

Do it yourself

I DON'T understand why people think that the government should pay for their health care. If you can't afford coverage, then go to school and get training so that you can get a better job so that you can pay for your own. People don't have any pride or self-respect. Wouldn't you rather be able to say, "I worked for what I've got. No government handed it to me." God gave you a brain and the abilities to do things for yourself.

Flummoxed

FOR THE tax-and-spend St. Louis Post-Dispatch to endorse a tax incentive proposed by Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has left me more flummoxed than would an early Southeast Missourian editorial presidential endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

Feel-good idea

AS WITH Head Start, the benefits of preschool for the poor and deprived don't last, but at least it would have made us feel better about ourselves.

Obey the law

I DON'T feel sorry for the people who are complaining about the jail food and conditions. They did something wrong to get there. It's not a vacation spot, if you don't like it, obey the law!.

Hands-on control

FOR GOOD or bad, the Cape Girardeau School District seems to have hands-on government by the school board. We might as well abolish the office of superintendent and save the money.

Fight or flight

THANK YOU so much for giving me the title of "religious warmonger" because I support the president on Iraq. Since 9-11, I watched as people flip-flopped from wanting to fight the terrorists who killed so many innocent lives to those who whine because we are fighting the terrorists who kill so many innocent lives. You either fight or you don't. I believe the saying is "fight or flight." Are you ready to really run?