Speak Out 3/23/09

Presidential popularity

MICHAEL Jensen seems to be growing ever more dour in his dotage. Less than two months into the Obama presidency, Jensen has pronounced the demonstrably inspiring Obama unable to inspire us. That, even though the president's popularity remains at a much higher level at the same time period in office as did Jensen's redistribute-the-wealth-upward Republican presidential predecessors.

Pelosi's plan

I have been seeing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the news saying how she thinks American immigration policy is wrong and must be changed to protect illegal aliens and their families, or some such nonsense. What have I missed? Her home state of California has a budget in the tank thanks at least in part to the $5 billion a year it spends on illegal aliens. Speaking as the wife of a legal, card-carrying permanent resident who immigrated from Canada, I take issue with her remarks. California is notorious for its view that "the illegals take jobs that Americans don't want." That's what my brother says. He has lived in California for the past 30 years. I guess well-to-do Californians want to keep their cheap labor as they hire these illegals to clean their houses. Pelosi's ideas on what's right and decent is a far cry from mine. It's a shame I can't vote against her.

Try walking

REGARDING traffic around South Elementary School in Jackson: Those living along Oak Street wait every day to cross over Oak while hordes of mothers speed along in their vehicles with only one child on board. With childhood obesity at terrible levels and gasoline costing so much, it would seem prudent for parents to resort to a time-tested and healthy mode of transportation called walking. In some cities, parents organize and have adults accompany groups of children on a healthy walk to school. Some parents pamper their children so much that they rob them of both health and real-life experiences such as meeting new friends on the bus or while walking.

Make a choice

PRESIDENT Obama is spending money to free banks so they can start lending again. If they don't lend, our economy doesn't move. Obama is going to free people from Guantanamo who are there without being charged or tried, I would rather face a terrorist attack than violate our own principles. Last, we can't stay in Iraq forever. We cannot win, nor can we lose. Pick one and stick with it: big government or small government, not both.

Not a cult

MICHAEL Jensen recently made reference to what he called "the Obama cult." A cult is a small religion. Obamaism has millions of members. Deal with it.

Warning about warning

THE Jackson siren test on March 10 was announced in the Southeast Missourian at least twice and was well-known around town. Even the girls at my beauty parlor knew it was going to occur.

Coach's record

AS a disappointed fan of Southeast Missouri State University basketball, I am trying to understand Southeast's attitude when it comes to hiring a coach. I was a manager in a local manufacturing company for many years, and meeting only 50 percent of my goals would have made my tenure as a manager very short. Now Southeast, with a basketball program at a new low, hires a coach with barely a 50 percent success rate. I think we all know 50 percent is not considered successful, so what were they thinking? No disrespect to Dickie Nutt, but his 50 percent history over a 13-year period does not lead me to be encouraged that Southeast is going to improve to the point of being a team that is a contender in the Ohio Valley Conference. I hope I am wrong, but history does tend to repeat itself.

No flat roofs

CENTRAL High School has a leaky roof already. Isn't it time to stop putting flat roofs on buildings paid for by taxes? A flat roof might be cheaper in the beginning, but what about all the repairs?

Not the military

PLEASE don't punish the military for the public school and parental failures. Most of the dropouts wouldn't qualify for the military and wouldn't make it there either. Punish the parents. Send them to jail for 60 days.

Too big

WE have let banks and companies get too big. You can see what this has caused. If a few smaller banks went under, they wouldn't take so many people and businesses with them. Big companies put other businesses out of business by lowering their prices till the other companies are gone. They also force suppliers to sell to them for less, as they now have most of the market.

Easy reduction

NOT surprisingly, one of the simplest ways to reduce our national oil consumption would be to lower the speed limits on interstate highways. Even better, Obama could mandate throttle governors on all new vehicles, with a tamperproof seal to be inspected by emissions testing facilities. It is technically simple, especially with modern electronic fuel controls. Obama could mandate the installation of these devices on all late model vehicles too.

Tax rant

THOUGH Gary Rust's articulate anti-tax rant -- supplemented with insightful poems, testimonials and quotes -- was interesting, readers should keep in mind that under the Obama administration 95 percent of Americans are receiving a tax cut. Many of you hard-working Americans will see the payroll tax deduction lowered in your checks. Rust's verbal wallop was directed toward the well-heeled.

Rush-hour myth

THANK you, Southeast Missourian, for providing Speak Out. Experts say that laughter is the best medicine, and I get lots of laughs reading Speak Out. My favorite comment today is from someone who sees women applying their makeup while driving 60 mph in bumper-to-bumper traffic. This caller, who must be from St. Louis since Cape Girardeau gets little bumper-to-bumper traffic and has no 60 mph zones, is a hoot. I go to St. Louis regularly on business and hit rush-hour traffic quite often. Bumper-to-bumper at 60 mph? That's a myth that non-city folks fall for. Great joke.

Practical education

ON all the discussions regarding high school dropouts, it's amazing how many of the older generations are able to admit that a lot of dropouts have as much or more common sense and realistic views of life than many whose educations include higher degrees. Book-learning does not necessarily teach anyone how to get along in the grown-up world. In fact, much of it is a hindrance toward allowing young people to get a realistic grasp of that world, in that education generally does not encourage students to develop the skills to think for themselves.

Dangerous driving

USING cell phones while driving: How is this really any more dangerous than talking to a passenger, except for dialing or scrambling for the ringing phone (both should be a no-no)? Holding a phone surely isn't any worse than holding a dripping Big Mac. Try keeping a tally of people you see whose driving is not up to your standards who are not talking on a cell phone compared to those who are.