Speak Out 2/6/09

Jackson snow removal

I don't know if I should blame the mayor of Jackson or the street department, but this has been the absolutely worst-handled snow removal ever. I drive to Cape Girardeau and the streets look great. Jackson, surely you can do better than this.

Great movie

I enjoy movies generally, but I particularly like ones based on history. "Valkyrie" was one I recently saw and was impressed. However, in recent days, the one that is far and away the best of the lot is "Notorious." The particulars will be familiar to a lot of the readership of the Southeast Missourian but are worth summarizing briefly. Born Christopher George Wallace, the hefty youth would eventually become one of America's premier rap artists. Wallace, a Brooklynite, became known as Notorious, Notorious B.I.G. and Biggie Smalls. The film traces his early run-in with the law, his later rise to fame, his involvement with many women and his rivalry with rapper Tupac Shakur. Both of these stars were the tragic victims of murders early in their careers. Sometimes the important things in history are overlooked by scholars, the popular press, the media and the filmmaking industry, but not in this case. It would be well worth your time to see a movie that captures the milieu of not-long-ago and extremely important phase of our history. As an added bonus, the movie's soundtrack is awesome.

Show us the money

IF the need is to increase consumer spending to stimulate the economy, here's what Congress can do: According to Census Bureau, about 200 million people in the U.S. over the age of 18. Give all legal adult citizens, including those on welfare, a part of the proposed stimulus package. $819,000,000,000 divided by 200,000,000 equals $4,095 per person. If they government truly wants to hand out money in a stimulus package, this would promote the average American to spend with confidence. Give us the money and watch the economy grow.

Jackson streets

I cannot believe how bad the streets in Jackson are. I am so disappointed at the lack of care the city has given to clearing off our streets. In my neighborhood the streets have eight inches of slush on them. This is one of the bigger subdivisions in the town, and I saw people getting stuck on flat streets. I needed four-wheel drive to get out. Most of the time Jackson gets it right. This time, the city failed miserably.

Drop front plates

IN response to Brad Hollerbach's blog "License Plate Redesign Wastes Taxpayer Dollars": When I lived in Missouri I suggested that the state drop the requirement for a front plate. That would cut the cost of plates in half. Fewer than half the states have front plates.

Mail delivery

THIS past six months we have received more mail meant for someone else and have had more mail that was never delivered to us than in all the other years we've been receiving mail put together. What's going on with U.S. Postal Service?

Mercury concern

IN response to the story "DNR establishing drop-off sites to take items that contain mercury": Interesting. We are being cautious with the disposal of mercury products and advise pregnant women to avoid certain fish because of the mercury in them. Yet the "authorities" still say there is no link to autism from mercury injected into an infant or child during an immunization. Nonsense.