OpinionMarch 14, 2005
Speak Out 3/14/05
That sign means stop; Real church cooking; Less benefit, fewer votes; Orchestrated testimony; Uncover the problem; Clean up the mess; Not just a boyfriend; A total waste; Thanks for assistance; Sense of pride; Commandments for all; Evaluating administrators; Drain on trust fund; Litter penalty; Turn in dealers; Stop littering first
That sign means stop
THE STOP signs in front of the Cape Girardeau Middle School is supposed to be a four-way stop. The same thing goes for the ones behind the middle school. Please start paying attention to these stop signs.
Real church cooking
ANYONE WHO missed the wonderful pancake and pork sausage and pure maple syrup supper at the little country church at Sedgwickville missed not only the wonderful supper, but the brand new kitchen just finished for this occasion and the great fellowship that was enjoyed by all. There are more great suppers to come, so come to the little church and enjoy some real good cooking.
Less benefit, fewer votes
IN MISSOURI, the amount of money a family can earn and still be eligible for Medicaid is the second highest in the nation. A family can earn over $56,000 and still get its medical bills paid by the rest of us. This was set up by the Carnahan administration and the Democrat-controlled legislature in the 1990s. Higher earnings limits translates into more Medicaid recipients and more Democratic votes. Gov. Matt Blunt is absolutely right in attempting to correct this obvious scheme.
Orchestrated testimony
COMMENTS REPORTED in the Missourian by state Sen. Jason Crowell during a recent Senate hearing on Medicaid really amused me. Crowell praised a Division of Family Services employee from St. Louis as a "whistle blower and a brave and honest citizen." As a previous state Division of Family Services executive for many years, I have had to testify many times before state legislative committees. I was required to testify in support of the legislative agenda of the governor in office at the time. I just wanted your readers to know the testimony from "brave and honest citizens" is sometimes orchestrated.
Uncover the problem
THIS IS a comment on the article in Tuesday's paper about the water in the West Lake Meadows subdivision. We've been having problems out here for quite a few years. We went to the Millersville water board, which was more interested in talking about other people's problems instead of addressing the issues. I think it's time the Department of Natural Resources needs to step in and see exactly what the problem is instead of covering it up.
Clean up the mess
HAVING RETURNED from Florida recently, we knew we were near home by all the trash we saw. Center Junction was a mess, but I'm incensed after coming out Route W today. The used cars, tacky storage buildings and general just-don't-care attitude is atrocious. We need zoning in the county. We're living in slob city. Let's clean it up.
Not just a boyfriend
I DON'T think it was necessary to comment on the front page of our newspaper that Oprah Winfrey's boyfriend is coming to town. Stedman Graham is his own person and was chosen because of who he is, not just because he's someone's boyfriend.
A total waste
WHY IS the Missouri Department of Transportation spending all that money on a large retaining wall just southwest of Jackson High School on Highway 34/72 when plans are already in place for that house to be removed and land to be leveled for a parking lot for the high school?
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Thanks for assistance
I SLIPPED and fell in the Walgreen parking lot. A young lady came and lifted me up. I did not get her name, but I want her to know how much I appreciate her kindness and to say thank you to her.
Sense of pride
I'M 84 years old and keep litter picked up along my yard where trash is thrown. I can no longer do more, but I have done my share along the highway in the past. Where is the sense of pride and responsibility nowadays?
Commandments for all
SOMEONE THINKS the Ten Commandments are no basis for law in this country. Does he think it is OK to kill, steal, lie or commit adultery? Does he think it's OK to want his neighbor's wife or his home or his property? Does he not love God and his parents? The majority of the people in this country believe there is a God. There is only one God. He is the God of the Christians, Muslims, Jews and other religions. If everyone followed the Ten Commandments, there would be no need for war.
Evaluating administrators
WHY SHOULDN'T school administrators be evaluated by the public? They're paid with our tax dollars. We're the ones who know how They're doing with our kids. School board members don't have a clue. That's obvious from their actions and the things that they say. They feel that they're above responsibility and accountability to this community. I recently called an administrator six times over the course of eight days regarding the fact that teachers didn't return phone calls, e-mails or any other communication. All I got was "Please, leave a message." I left messages to call me at both my work and my home phone number. No one returned the calls except for two of the seven teachers. Those are things school board members need to know. So I called a couple of board members. Their response: "Well, the administrators are busy." So an evaluation wouldn't do much good, because the board doesn't listen to the community anyway.
Drain on trust fund
LET'S CLARIFY the president's proposal on Social Security. His supporters keep saying workers would only be permitted to put 4 percent of their wages into private accounts. So what's the fuss? The fuss is that they're using Bush-style math to make the diversion of money seem trivial. The Social Security payroll taxes is 12.4 percent of each worker's wages. Siphoning off 4 percentage points means a 32 percent reduction in payments going into the trust fund -- a one-third cut that would drastically undermine the program's financing and force a huge cut in the benefits.
Litter penalty
CONCERNING litter: I think of visiting an old Navy buddy years ago in Utah. I commented how clean the roadsides were. He worked part-time with the park service. He said, "If we catch someone throwing something out the window of the car, we stop them and make them pick up one mile down and one mile up, and it doesn't make any difference whether they're 16 or 66. It really does help keep it clean."
Turn in dealers
WE COULD clean up the drugs if we could catch the dealers. We put the kids in jail for buying, and another bunch comes along to take their place. The dealers sit back laughing and getting richer. Turn in anyone you even suspect of dealing, and you might save your child.
Stop littering first
THE LITTER "problem" isn't a cleanup problem, it's how to convince people to stop littering in the first place. It may take a generation, starting with young children, to convince people that there are better alternatives to thoughtless littering.
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