SPEAK OUT

Let's hear good stuff

THERE ARE so many negative and unkind things said in Speak Out, but we have so many good things here in Cape and the surrounding communities. Why don't we have one day a month when Speak Out is limited to good things and praise? Yes, we have problems, but we have so much good too. We need to hear the good to encourage those who did it. But we need to hear the bad to identify problems that need correction. I have lived in Cape for over 30 years, and there's nowhere else I'd rather live.

Hiring advice

I WANT to respond to the person who feels age discrimination. My advice is to dye your hair and lie about your age. It is a violation of federal law to ask an applicant about age, race, gender, marital status, religion, national origin and disabilities. And an individual is not required to answer those types of questions. The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission regulations are available by calling (800) 669-3362.

Sexual predator

IT APPEARS if you're a middle-class, college-educated, articulate, nicely dressed man who attends church, people in the community will never believe you could also be guilty of sexually abusing a child. But how cleverly the predator chooses his victims. He looks for broken homes with absent or alcoholic parents. The criminal system gives him a slap on the hand, and he moves on to his next victim.

Breakfast fare

RONNIE REAGAN and Margaret Thatcher? Now there is a pair. Too much to think about so early in the morning. Let's add Jesse Helms so we can all lose our breakfasts.

Reward for prudence

THIS IS to the people in Perryville who think the school district is mismanaging the budget and doesn't need the extra money. I used to live in a town that was in the same predicament. The state threatened to come in and take it over, which meant not only sports would go, but all non-essential elements of graduating which included such things as all shop and woodworking classes, all home economic classes and all extracurricular clubs. Since there apparently hasn't been an increase in the tax levy since the 1970s, I think that goes to show that the school district is very good at managing its money and has worked miracles. This is like your boss not giving you a raise since the 1970s because you were able to manage your budget on that salary even though the cost of living has increased a lot. Should the school district be punished for managing its resources so well when other school districts have had many tax increases since that time and are still being threatened with the state coming in and taking over? I am not from Perryville and have never lived there, but maybe this is just another way of looking at things.

So cut taxes again

DISCOUNTING SUPPOSEDLY untouchable Social Security receipts (the lockbox), the budget surplus has shrunk to virtually nothing. Some say the Bush tax cut is partly responsible for the reversal of a once-rosy scenario. What to do? Relying on people to voluntarily return their tax rebates to Washington seems unrealistic. I suggest taking the advice of what I predict will be the theme of an upcoming Southeast Missourian editorial, namely -- you guessed it -- another tax cut.

Biblical references

I AM perplexed when people pretend to know the eternal dwelling place of people of any political persuasion. God is the judge. I do not find a reference in the Gospels as to the political beliefs of the rich young man. Also, every translation that I have read has said to give to the poor and has made no mention of giving to the government to distribute to the poor. I do not see where Jesus specified an intermediary to give to the poor. I know many conservatives who are extremely generous in giving to the poor without government help.