Speak Out 3/11/04

Buying gas guzzlers

ALL PEOPLE who wonder why gas prices are going up have to do is look in the mirror and see what kind of car they're driving, how much horsepower it has and what kind of gas mileage it gets. Gas prices stayed low long enough that people went horsepower crazy again. People don't have anybody to blame except themselves. If that's what they want, that's fine, quit complaining.

It was voluntary

I'M VERY much a Christian. A caller says "The Passion" leads people to think Christ was forced into his crucifixion. It doesn't leave the impression at all. The movie is the closest to Scripture you can get. We know Christ was crucified voluntarily.

Keep it locked

THE ONLY way to preserve Social Security is to keep the lockbox locked and quit trying to police the whole world with Social Security funds.

Spirit of youth

THOSE WHO betray our fighting, brave, young men and women for political purposes should never be in power in our country. The spirit of American youth is the single greatest weapon in the American arsenal, a most precious and invaluable defense of America.

Memories of Sousa

REGARDING JOHN Philip Sousa, who is to be portrayed in a performance here: I vividly remember the visit of the March King and princesses to Cape Girardeau. I was an awestruck 9-year-old listening to that grand music in the parade. I remember the white gloves too.

Looking for guarantee

IF WE vote for a tax increase, will we be assured it will go toward police and fire protection? I remember a few years ago when our vote turned into a River Campus fiasco. Where does it stop?

Why not volunteer?

IN ANSWER to all the comments regarding the Jackson Middle School sign and PTO: The JMS PTO has one fund raiser for the school year. In the past two years, thousands of dollars were raised. The sign was 100 percent paid for by those funds, not from the school budget. In addition to the sign, all field trip transportation, after-school activities, new white boards and numerous other needs were paid for by this money. PTO does meet during the day, but there are numerous opportunities for parents to assist without ever attending a meeting. One phone call could put you to work as a volunteer faster than you could imagine. The funds raised and the work PTO does for JMS are astounding. Read your monthly newsletter and see for yourself.

Downtown is alive

I'M CALLING in reference to the comment in a story that no one comes downtown anymore. There are many successful businesses downtown -- antique stores, restaurants, art galleries, a new federal building coming and the Marquette Hotel. I think the downtown is alive.

Consumers' fault

PEOPLE IN Speak Out blame everyone but themselves for job losses in the United States. The problem lies solely with the American consumer buying foreign goods. They have their children recite the Pledge of Allegiance and then go out and buy Chinese, Japan and Mexican goods. The consumer is solely responsible for U.S. job losses by abandoning any loyalty whatever to U.S.-made products, thus costing their neighbors' jobs and maybe their own jobs. The way to reverse this is to change their shopping habits and buy only U.S. products. Then the retailer will stop stocking foreign goods and jobs will return. Only your can change this trend.

Good teacher lost

I COULDN'T have disagreed more with Monday's editorial. While I don't know about the DuQuoin incident, I have personal experience with both the Oran teacher in question and the family accusing her. The behavior problems this child has are far more severe than simply talking in class. Teachers are there to instruct, not serve as prison wardens. The real victim of this situation isn't the child or the teacher who was been forced to retire prematurely. The victims are the future students of Oran High School who are being robbed of one of the best teachers in that school or any other.

Untidy storefronts

MANY OF the downtown storefronts have peeling paint, tattered and faded awnings, few or no signs and cobwebs and dust near doors and windows. Just a tip to the downtown merchants: Not many folks will go into a store if they have to first determine that it's not abandoned.

Rainy-day prediction

IN JANUARY, the Cape Girardeau School Board sided against taxpayers by failing to balance the district's budgeted spending. Of the $2.2 million looming shortfall, the board only cut $1.4 million from spending. Where will the $800,000 for this overspending come from? Out of the district's rainy-day savings balances? And how will they pay for the additional $1 million required for urgent roof and furnace repairs -- known needs -- that they simply left off the budget? At the end of the school year last June, the district held enough money in its rainy-day savings accounts to prevent a state takeover for fiscal reasons that requires year-end balances greater than 3 percent of budgeted expenditures. Overspending consumed a chunk of these rain-day funds last year. Overspending continues. How much remaining in these savings accounts will the board spend this year and next year? If the board depletes these balances too much, to prevent a state takeover our property taxes will skyrocket. Before this money's spent, taxpayers deserve nothing but the whole truth.