SPEAK OUT

Welfare's aftermath

THE DEMOCRATS' war on poverty did not destroy poverty. It destroyed the inner-city family system. It is time for a change.

Which one is this?

DURING THE third and final presidential debate we saw yet another Al Gore. Would the real Al Gore please stand up?

Jean for senator

IF PEOPLE vote for Governor Carnahan, I assume that the new governor would appoint his wife, Jean Carnahan. I know Jean Carnahan. She is wonderful. I deeply deplore his death, but I would be thrilled to have Jean Carnahan be our new senator.

Not the old team

I AM a Jackson fan responding to Bob Miller's comment about the Jackson football team. I agree with everything he had to say. They are not the team of yesteryear, especially not the team of last year. I can't possibly see how we could be ranked so high. Even being a Jackson fan, it is hard to sit and watch the game and understand how we ever got a ranking so high in the state. We haven't played anybody worthy of beating us, so it hasn't done as much good getting the wins as it did last year. Last year we competed against teams that were hard and solid, and we had an excellent record. But this year we haven't played anybody worth their salt. Jackson has won, but what have they really won?

AARP feeds off greed

I AM so disgusted with the AARP. It is no more than a lobbyist group for retired people and a business to live off folks who want more. It is no worse than other lobbyists. Why is this pathetic organization breaking our country and having our kids in debt and saying all of their lies for benefits for the elderly? When will these people understand their organization is a business supported by people who want more benefits, more medical, more freebies from someone else's finances. The AARP feeds off greed.

Coach won't showboat

I WOULD like to comment on Bob Miller's "For the Love of the Game" sports column. He was talking about Jackson football not running up such high scores. The reason Jackson doesn't run up high scores is because the coach does not want his team to showboat. He doesn't want to show up the other teams. He puts the second and third strings in after they get a high enough lead that he feels comfortable with. If he left his first team in the whole game, Jackson would've probably won each one of them by about 60-0.

Dust on county roads

THE COUNTY road dust is still endangering the life of people who have to live with it because the Cape County Commission doesn't worry about it. It sort of reminds me of Rome burning and Nero fiddling. So the dust keeps going while Cape County commissioners fiddle with bad projects. Also, the school seems to always need money and help, but the school buses don't seem to worry about the dust making people sick. Makes me wonder if I should help out the schools with the money they say they need.

He still picks Jackson

REGARDING THE sports column in the paper by Bob Miller. If he can bash Jackson football so bad, then how come he votes for us every week for us to win?

Stick to a winner

AFTER AL Gore wins this election and the next, we are looking at a continuation of a good economy, an economy that includes low interest rates, low unemployment, solid Social Security and Medicare and world peace. Why change from a smart program? Not me. Not any intelligent person.

Thanks for the wallet

I JUST wanted to say thank you to whoever found the black wallet at McDonald's and turned it into the cashier. They returned it with all the money intact, and I really appreciate it. We needed that money badly, and I was really worried that we weren't going to get it back. Thank you so very much, and God bless you.

For war, not peace

CLINTON AND Albright's agitation of the Mideast has finally paid off for them. They have now caused a tragedy they have sought in order to kick off their goal of world conflict. These warmongers calling themselves peacemakers are the ultimate world danger to all humanity in their power-crazed, fanatical ambition. They want to be world rulers, and they don't care what the consequences are.

Action on gas prices

IF THE U.S. citizens in this country sit back and let these oil companies dictate what they pay for fuel, these gasoline and heating oil prices are still going to continue to rise. If everybody would just do only necessary driving, carpool or walk when the destination is close until prices come down, it would only take a few days. It is time the American people stand up to these politicians and these big oil men and tell them what's what. I don't believe the Mideast crisis and that it has anything at all to do with the price of this gasoline.

City seeks money

I AM in the process of restoring a nice home down in the south part of town where the drugs run rampant and the parties run all night. Then I read in the paper about the police chief wanting to put cameras at intersections to catch people running red lights. Cape has voted down tax increases over the past because they are tired of tax increases, and the city and the mayor are doing nothing but increasing the tickets given for speeding, but they will not take care of the drug problem, the prostitution problem and the guns and the fights in this town. Cape will not go for another tax increase, so the only way the city can get money is to give out speeding tickets. I don't know if you have gotten a speeding ticket in Cape Girardeau lately. It is not cheap. It is one of the highest in the state. I have done some checking. Mayor, please solve a problem before we create another one.

Stealing decorations

I AM so sick of everybody ripping off and stealing holiday decorations from a home or from a business. We put our hard work and effort into providing something nice to look at, and they are all being stolen. For the one who took my Darth Vader hat: Go get a job and go buy it yourself. And if you see someone with a Darth Vader helmet, you might want to ask him if he bought it.

Some farmers do OK

AS TO the farmer issue, some farmers must be able to manage better than others. I have seen many of my neighbor farmers who take extravagant vacations, live in luxurious homes, drive big new cars and live an above-average lifestyle. And they do not work at a second job.

Mow along the roads

IF WE need planning and zoning so bad out here in the county, why don't they get the county highway department to mow your weeds up and down the road? We have Johnsongrass 10 to 15 feet high up and down the roads.

Just leave me alone

I AM very disgusted. I don't care which party it is. I don't appreciate them calling on my phone and blabbering on. If I wanted to hear it, I would listen to it on the TV.

Music was too loud

I CANNOT believe Cape would give these people on the music festival a permit to play music until midnight. We live a full mile from where that music was, and it was shaking the windows in our house. I thought the city had an ordinance on noise. The police were called, but nothing could be done because they had a permit to do it until midnight. To me this is plumb ludicrous to allow someone like that to play this music this loud.

Won't get money back

Regarding the comment "Return our money": Doesn't the caller know that this is the oldest game that there ever has been in the elections? The Republicans want to give the tax surplus back. The Democrats don't. I wonder when the Republicans get in office where that money will go. Do you really think they will give it back to the American people? I think not.