OpinionMarch 29, 2005
Speak Out 3/29/05
Positive support at CMS; Unused sidewalks; Trash slogan; Healthy downtown; Sad situation; Eroding roadway; Trash in pickups; Cemetery flowers; Where's the money?; No vote, no fear; Excessive charging; Tracking technology; Litter suggestions; Publicize predators; Is litter worse?; We're being suckered
Positive support at CMS
WHERE ARE all the parents who are supportive of Central Middle School? All we keep hearing in Speak Out are the bad things. I am very pleased with Central Middle School. My daughter has an outstanding teacher, and we have had a great year. Come on, parents, let's talk about all the positive things going on there instead of the negative.
Unused sidewalks
IT GRIEVES me deeply to see how Cape Girardeau officials choose to spend our hard-earned tax money. New sidewalks are in place on North Sprigg Street all the way from Bertling Street to Lexington Avenue. I have yet to see anyone walking on those sidewalks. Now sidewalks are being put on the north side of Lexington. Go take a look at this waste. Meanwhile, many of the streets remain in dire need of repair.
Trash slogan
MAYBE THE trash slogan should read, "Welcome to redneck country. Trash is as trash does. Welcome to Southeast Missouri."
Healthy downtown
DOWNTOWN CAPE Girar-deau has more than bars. Some of us might complain about the antique stores. They do nothing for me. However this is a college town, and the bars keep the downtown revived at night, because the kids are down there and they're having a good time. And there are restaurants downtown. There are plenty of shops. In fact, it's always been a marvel to me how the jewelry stores keep going down there. We have a healthy downtown.
Sad situation
I AM a young black man here in Cape Girardeau, and I get tired of reading Speak Out comments about welfare handouts. I came to Cape Girardeau with the intent of making a living and providing for my family the American way. But I found out Cape Girardeau is not ready for that. I've been harassed by the police. I'm a taxpayer. My wife's a taxpayer. I don't understand that after more than 200 years, African-Americans in Cape are still going through the same thing. You'd think people would have changed by now. You see all the churches and Christian schools and wonder how these people live. It seems to me like it's a double standard. One day you're a Christian, and the next day you're ready to fly your own Confederate flag. I'm deeply saddened over this situation.
Eroding roadway
I JUST got on Interstate 55 at Center Junction and noticed the guardrail and about half of the side of the road has fallen into the ravine. Another good rain and part of the pavement will go too. It's been like this for two or three days and is getting worse.
Trash in pickups
SOME SPEAK Out comments have said pickup owners put trash in the back of their trucks so it will blow out. I own a pickup. I do not throw trash in the back of my truck. But on a number of occasions after shopping I have come back to my truck and found litter thrown in the back like it's somebody's personal garbage can. Before you do this, stop and think.
Cemetery flowers
WHY DON'T the cemeteries do their flower pickups before Easter? Families put fresh arrangements out for Easter, and then shortly after they're thrown away.
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
Where's the money?
IF BABY boomers have been paying into Social Security all these years, who's had their hands in the cookie jar? It should be pretty full. There shouldn't be a shortage.
No vote, no fear
REPUBLICANS DO not fear losing votes because of necessary cuts, because they know that the people most affected by the cuts don't bother to vote. If the poor, disabled and minorities had voted in significant numbers in the last state and national elections, the results would have been quite different. If you didn't vote, you have no right to complain.
Excessive charging
I'M CALLING in about insurance fraud with doctors. I just got a bill today. A doctor charged me, and I wasn't even there. I'm on Medicare and have insurance. No wonder the bills are so high and the people who don't have insurance can't afford medical care. Doctors rip you off.
Tracking technology
THINGS ARE happening in our country that the average American may not be aware of. One is radio information technology. They're going to be putting things on our products and be able to tell if it's in our home. I don't know about most Americans, but I don't want this invasion of privacy. I don't want corporations in my house. I want privacy. If you feel the same way I do, then you better be speaking out to your legislators.
Litter suggestions
AS A sponsor of a 2 1/2-mile section of highway that we keep clean, I'd like to make some suggestions: Keep a trash bag in your car. Put all your trash in it instead of throwing it all over your vehicle and out your window. I appreciate the McDonald's at Boomland at the Benton, Mo., exit. As you pull through the drive-through, they have a trash container with a long chute where you can dispose of your fast-food trash. If all the fast-food restaurants or drive-through restaurants would do something on that order, that would save a lot of trash. We've kept our stretch of highway clean now for over two years. It's pretty bad right now, but the weather's been too bad for my kids to get out there. Do a good job, people, and everybody help.
Publicize predators
I WISH we could get one central Internet connection where we could check every county in the state for registered sexual predators. This needs to be posted on school bulletin boards, public bulletin boards and any place where people can see it.
Is litter worse?
I HOPE something can be done about the litter problem. Perhaps I imagine it, but it looks to me like it has gotten much worse since we are trying to find a solution. Are those who do the littering trying to tell us something?
We're being suckered
I'M GETTING sick and tired of this Republican garbage of saying the economy is going well and having all these budget deficits. I just saw in the paper that Gov. Matt Blunt is cutting $240 million in state expenditures to balance the budget. What's wrong? Don't you people understand things aren't as good as these guys are trying sucker you into believing.
Story Tags
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.
Related
OpinionDec. 12
Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
