OpinionMarch 1, 2007
Speak Out 3/1/07
Taxing question; Time to pay; Health costs; Messy testing; Deadly seat belts; Bring back meters; Cairo's image; Slavery apology; Unwise investment; Jail essentials; The price of corn; Smelly business; Ready to trade; Adults' mistakes
Taxing question
HELP ME understand this scenario: If someone has $10 and I only have $2, it is OK for me to gripe to the government until I pay no taxes and the other person pays $8. That $8 goes toward costs associated with running big government. That way it is equitable. Who really benefited from that? The wealthiest 10 percent of this country pay 72 percent of our entire tax burden, whereas the poorest 10 percent bear less than 1 percent of the tax burden. I never knew a poor man to give anyone a job, while the wealthy are our business owners and providers of jobs. Liberals like to forget these facts when bringing up tax breaks for the wealthy.
Time to pay
CONCERNING SCOTT City water bills: The bills clearly say the due date is the 10th of the month. Then it goes on to say: "Bills not paid by the 20th will be turned off the following day." There is a 10-day grace period.
Health costs
WHEN PEOPLE complain about the high cost of employer-funded insurance, I don't believe they are saying the employer is responsible for providing their insurance. I think the concern is over the extremely high cost of insurance and health care in general. We pay about $900 a month for insurance with a $2,500 deductible, and because my child was hospitalized recently, I am still left to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills. With increasing insurance costs and deductibles, there is little left in the typical paycheck. Where is the incentive to work at all when those who don't are provided with health-care coverage free of charge? We've been hearing for years about plans to allow companies to unite to form larger insurance groups. When is it really going to happen?
Messy testing
AS USUAL, Missouri legislators know so much more than those who design, administer or take tests. This is another classic example of legislator ignorance concerning state testing. But if you think that's bad, check out Illinois testing requirements or Florida's testing plan. What a mess.
Deadly seat belts
IN REGARD to the comment that those who do not want to wear seat belts should fill out a death notice and have moron insurance: I checked the traffic statistics today, and statewide there was three fatalities. All three had seat belts on. One accident was a two-car head-on collision, and the driver not wearing a seat belt had minor injuries, but the one wearing a seat belt died. Seat belts do not keep you safe in a rollover or a side-impact collision. Seat belts do not always save you. The only way to cut all fatalities is to outlaw all cars and trucks and buses.
Bring back meters
CAPE GIRARDEAU should bring back parking meters to help pay for street improvements and more street lights.
Cairo's image
ALTHOUGH I live in Missouri, I have followed the Cairo, Ill., news. Before we retired six years ago, we spent a year searching in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois for a place to call home in between our travels. We hoped to find a town with character, reasonable housing prices, a feeling of safety and pride. A real estate ad took us to Cairo to look at what appeared to be a magnificent old home, similar to the one we owned and renovated. Within just a few blocks of driving into town, it was obvious that little Cairo would have been ideal if not for the trash and the abandoned buildings, the people lounging outside the bars in the middle of the workday.
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Slavery apology
MISSOURI LAWMAKERS are considering a measure to apologize for their role in slavery? Although we've not heard about it until now, let us hope that our state waits a few years to see what kinds of new and ridiculous lawsuits and/or demands will arise from Virginia's decision to do that. If you recall, there was (and maybe still is) a movement demanding that blacks be awarded reparations. It might be that apologizing for something that none of us, nor even our grandparents or great-grandparents had a part in will open up still another can of worms. These kinds of declarations are strictly political to garner the black vote.
Unwise investment
A TAX abatement for a company that has a $4 million shortfall? They can't cover upgrades with rent, so let us give them some of Cape Girardeau's tax money. A wise investment -- not.
Jail essentials
I HAVE spent some time in the jail. Nobody has to pay for toilet paper. The necessities are provided when the prisoner arrives, as are the jail uniforms. Nobody is denied the essentials.
The price of corn
FOR EVERYONE worried about a corn famine, corn is selling for about $4.25 for a 56-pound bushel. That is about 7 1/2 cents a pound. Anyone who is willing to pay 8 or 9 cents a pound can buy more corn than anyone needs. If you buy a one-pound bag of corn flakes or corn chips, the price is so high in comparison that one extra penny for a pound of corn does not make any difference. The plastic bag probably costs more than the corn. The bottom line is that it is in the best interest of the United States for products that we produce to become a little more valuable and for products that we import (petroleum) to become a little less valuable.
Smelly business
SOMETHING STINKS at the Cape Girardeau County Commission. Did the commission meet to hire the new assistant for acquiring road easements, and were those meetings open to the public? Have those records been made available to the public for view? Those records should have been available to the public within 72 hours of the close of the meetings, but it has been over two weeks. Let's not mince words when talking about "acquiring road easements." It is eminent domain, another fact the commission would prefer to bury their heads in the sand and avoid. That is why the commission propped up an outside assistant as its front man. All the actions of this special assistant, who is in effect a lobbyist for the commission, should be public since this does involve eminent domain issues. When did the commission advertise the opening of this new road assistant position, and what official prerequisites were required for the job?
Ready to trade
I CAN'T wait for the county's new schmoozer to come by to charm my socks off and see what kind of favors he can pull out of his bag of tricks for me. I have a long list of favors to trade. What are the requirements to get the best deal the county has to offer? And while we are on the subject, how does the county think it can do 60 miles of blacktop a year when the crews can't prepare five miles a year and there are easements on only 54 miles total?
Adults' mistakes
IT IS a shame the students from Bell City, Scott Central and Naylor have to pay for stupid things done by adults who are supposed to be setting examples. Most schools are so worried about winning at sports that they forget that the children are in school for an education, not to play sports. I think their athletic departments should be shut down, except that once again the children would have to pay the price for glory-seeking adults who want to win.
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