Speak Out 3/3/06

No exceptions

I READ the article about the Cape Girardeau School District's attack on at-risk students. It talks about all these exceptions the district is going to make. Why not treat everybody alike? If the district would put everybody in the same pot, I think our education system would be in much better shape. And they've got to get parents involved. The problem with these kids not getting an education is the parents don't promote this at home.

Rebuilding churches

PRESIDENT BUSH has offered to help rebuild the Muslim mosque in Iraq that was damaged by other Muslims. Will he help rebuild the churches destroyed in Alabama?

Caring governor

THE PERSON who says Gov. Rod Blagojevich is despised in Illinois is not speaking for the majority of people who live in Illinois. His actions show he cares for his constituents.

In defense of corgis

I'M CALLING about the comment on the gentle bull terriers. As a corgi owner for more than 20 years, I have never had a corgi attack another human being. You don't read about corgis attacking anyone. But you do read about bull terriers and Staffordshire terriers, which are better known as pit bulls. Corgis are a fun-loving people dog and make good pets for children.

Marker money

I LIKE the new interstate mile markers that are placed every two-tenths of mile. However, it is a waste of money to put the interstate shield on every marker. At a maximum the shield should appear on the marker at every whole mile. Preferably, the shield should be shown at every five-mile interval.

Good days in Cairo

I LIVED in Cairo, Ill., for 65 years. People were friendly and mostly nice. I had four children born and raised in Cairo. All graduated from Cairo High School. It was a great place to raise a family. How it has changed due to a few who seem to think they know it all. I think the mayor may have been part of the trouble, but not all of it. I think he inherited people on the council who were too stubborn to try to see the things he wanted to do -- and, I might add, vice versa. Nothing is ever one-sided. How I would love to see the days when we were raising our children.

Positive impact

AS A student of Southeast Missouri State University I am ecstatic that the River Campus situation is resolved. I don't think the residents of Cape Girardeau realize how much money the students of Southeast bring to Cape. We are consumers who help support local business, and we are workers who help keep these businesses alive. Imagine Cape without Southeast. There would be no mall and hardly any restaurants. The River Campus will draw in more money. It will bring more students, jobs and tourists. Please look at how the university makes Cape Girardeau a thriving community.

Thwarting cheats

PEOPLE NOT wanting photo IDs for voting know that cheating would be more difficult for their party if we used them.

Growing up

PEOPLE COMPLAIN about kids with piercings and tattoos. In the 1950s it was rock 'n' roll. In the 1960s it was hippies and bikers. In the 1970s it was disco music and flower power. It's a kid thing. Get over yourselves and remember when you were young. It wasn't as long ago as you think. Everyone does it. It's called growing up.

Good for community

TO ALL of you complaining about Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus, have any of you seen it at night? It is spectacular. I've lived in Cape Girardeau all of my life, and I never noticed the property until the River Campus construction started The buildings complement all of the historic downtown buildings and the equally impressive new federal courthouse. Who cares if the River Campus is going to cost a little more? We have to make sacrifices for the good of the community.

Thanks for help

I WAS having problems figuring out this Medicare prescription stuff. I found the most helpful people at the Area Agency on Aging. They helped me sort through the plans and enrolled me. Thanks, ladies. You're a lifesaver.

Jackson's uptown

AFTER A review of the proposed preservation plan in uptown Jackson, the goals of the effort remain unclear. Is there such a significant demand for additional parking spaces that warrant changing the street traffic to one-way for the benefit of adding maybe 25 to 30 additional parking spaces? I dine at some of the great uptown spots and am always able to find a streetside spot to park right in front of the businesses. Creating one-way streets and traffic islands only emphasizes the suburban mall effect and are not compatible with the historic district. Why choke our uptown traffic by implementing this proposal? If this plan is to be implemented by using TIF funding, then a public presentation is warranted. Design by committee is never a pretty sight, but this appears to be the direction that is destined to shape uptown Jackson.

Saving dollars

WHAT A fresh of breath air for taxpayers to find out that those in county jail no longer get a free ride for medical care. It has never been fair for the honest, law-abiding taxpayer to have to foot a bill for someone in jail. It is refreshing to find that someone has stepped up to the plate and said "No more." Thanks to Cape Girardeau County and Scott County for implementing those cost-effective policies that keep budgets down.