Speak Out 3/7/04

Time for accountability

I AM taxed and fund-raised to the point I just can't take it anymore. How about you? Let's vote for fiscal responsibility from our lawmakers, politicians and government leaders including those who are currently running the schools into the ground.

We're no St. Louis

DREAM CITY on the River? That about fits this place. The city council and a lot of the talking heads here have some pipe dreams. How about "City With a $100 Million Bridge to Nowhere"? When is Cape Girardeau going to figure out it is not a metro area like St. Louis? With the current line of thinking of the council, residents and the powers that be, it never will be.

No business teaching

AS A junior high teacher myself, I am fully aware that there are many times students are disruptive and difficult to deal with in the classroom. There are plenty of times when I feel like pulling my hair out over the students' inability to do what's expected of them. Under no circumstances would I ever consider duct-taping their mouths shut or their bodies to the chair. If teachers are incapable of maintaining discipline in the classroom without resorting to these kinds of measures, then they have no business being in the classroom. It's as simple as that.

Student backs teacher

I AM a student at Oran High School. I have known Tommy Brindley and his family for a long time. Tommy may have some problems, but there is no excuse for the way he acts in or out of school. There are plenty of other kids with attention deficit disorder who are able to act appropriately while in a classroom setting. Although my teacher's method of restraint may not have been proper, it is easy to see how she could have been driven to take such drastic measures. I commend her on standing up when no one else was bold enough to do so. To our teacher: Your students are behind you all the way.

Retirement future

THE ANNUAL U.S. military budget would not even scratch the surface of Social Security costs. The answer is to give all of us baby boomers the right to opt out of Social Security now while it is not too late for us to secure our retirement through other means. I'm sure I could take that extra money each paycheck and make it grow at a greater rate than the government does by investing in our nation's economy. I still have more than 20 years before retirement. Fortunes have been made in much less time. Imagine what it would do to our economy to have millions of new investors putting their money into the markets.

All about lying

ATTEMPTING TO share credible information about questionable government policies, including war policies, is not disrespectful of anyone. In a democracy founded on the principles undergirding our own, sharing of such information is a clear duty of citizens. Disrespect is shown by lying to our troops, their families, Congress and the American people.

Where's the money?

I'M CURIOUS to know what Mel Gibson plans to do with the money he makes from "The Passion." It cost him $30 million to make, but has more than recouped that in its first week. I wonder whether Gibson plans to profit from Jesus or use his wealth to help others as a true Christian would.

Drop the tax cap

THE SOLUTION to the Social Security shortfall is simple. Remove the cap on Social Security contributions. Most of us contribute a percentage of every dollar we make. Beyond the cap, the wealthy pay nothing into Social Security. Of course, if this were proposed in Washington, our Republican president and leaders would scream that liberals are trying to get a new tax from us. Wrong. There would be no new cost for almost all of us, and a Social Security check would be there for us when we retire.

Defending freedoms

THE COMMANDER of the local VFW post is apparently calling those expressing opposition to the Iraq war treasonous and seditious. I wonder what freedoms he thinks the veterans fought to defend.