SPEAK OUT

Political promo

WE GOT our tax-refund letter. Now I know why they were sent out. Even where no tax refund is due, it is a political promo for George Bush at the taxpayers' expense.

A dangerous thing

A RECENT caller was correct in calling Teddy Roosevelt an environmentalist. He was wrong when he called him a conservative Republican. Roosevelt favored labor unions, worked to break up big business trusts, favored more regulations of railroads and even advocated a system of national health care. The real conservatives of the time opposed Roosevelt and his progressive ideas at every turn, just as present-day conservatives would do.

Too much traffic

LET ME tell you why the residents along Old Hopper Road and in the Ashland Hills area are opposed to a church building in our neighborhood. They proposed to build a church, a day-care center, an amphitheater, a sports complex and a 3-acre lake. They currently have a congregation of 2,000 and hope to grow to 4,000 to 5,000 within a few years. Our streets are not equipped to handle this kind of traffic. The traffic will be continuous with church on Sunday and the day-care traffic Monday through Friday.

Unsung heroes

I WOULD like to commend the professional and expedient judgment of the staff at Toddle Around, my daughter's day-care center, during Thursday's downpour. I trusted them completely with the well-being of my child, and I was well pleased with their actions. Sometimes I think day-care providers are under-appreciated, and I just wanted to say thank you for what they do with our children every day. I also want to thank Todd Alexander and Bill Trautman, the staff of Charter Communications and all the other unsung heroes who helped those in need during the rising water.

Intelligent column

HOORAY FOR Dr. J. Russell Felker. His timely column concerning embryonic stem cells lifts the spirits of those who feel depressed by other news. I feel that many intelligent enough to understand the article will appreciate it.

Need better control

I READ with great interest the letter about the condition of boys baseball in Cape Gir-ardeau. The fields aren't taken care of, and there isn't adequate parking. That is the city's fault. The writer compared the boys league to the girls league. I can't agree with him on where the blame lies. That lies with the boys league. I've had children go through both the boys league and the girls league. The girls charge much less than the boys do at the same age group. The girls make most of the improvements on the field with their own money. They have built bating cages at almost every field. They have equipment buildings at every field. The boys league can't pay for anything because they don't use their money wisely. Last year, some divisions didn't even get trophies for second place because we were told they ran out of money. The boys are paying twice as much to play, and all you get is a T-shirt and a hat. The boys league is not run well. Yes, parents are aggravated with the boys league. Some people are going to Jackson, and I cannot blame them.

Support for women

IF EMPLOYEES at the police department accused former chief Rick Hetzel of discriminating against women, that would be contrary to any actions I've seen Hetzel display. I serve with him on several community groups, and he has always promoted the involvement of women and girls in everything he has been involved in. He has taken much pride and joy when girls have participated in the Soap Box Derby or the youth leadership program. He has encouraged women to take positions of leadership and many times has had his discomfort with the good old boys because more women need to be involved on local boards and groups. He is probably the most non-sexist person I know.

Name that circle

I READ in the paper about the person who wanted to name the roundabout the Circle of Roses. That does not make any sense because there are no roses there. It could be the Circle of Weeds. Maybe we could go for a classical theme. How about the First Circle of Hell?

Renter's lament

I'M A renter, and we have been in the same apartment for about a year. We make it a point to pay our rent on time. It is hard on the renters who are doing their best to pay their bills when you call your landlord to fix something and he doesn't do it. If you hold out rent, they try to evict you. The last two days it has rained, and the apartment flooded. We tried to reach the landlord, and he won't call us back. Where is the law to help renters from landlords who don't want to fix anything?