OpinionMarch 9, 2007
Speak Out 3/9/07
Jackson electricity; Rude treatment; Bad connection; Supporting troops; Support optimism; Driving pollution; Missing words; Help the homeless; Stop the burning; Weather-wise; Ridiculous rules; School reports
Jackson electricity
WHAT A surprise it was to find a $475 electric bill in my mailbox. A call to city hall will inform you that there was a 12 percent increase, but how can a 12 percent increase more than double my monthly bill? It's not just me. The city is buzzing with stories high electric bills this week. How can a middle-class family of four afford to pay almost $500 a month for electricity? This is criminal. I'm sure glad we didn't have a bad winter.
Rude treatment
I THINK the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department needs to learn some courtesy. I have been trying to resolve a dispute with them as well as my landlord. I have gone to the station and have been treated rudely, called a liar and had my landlord called a liar too. My landlord and I have left several messages for an officer with no response for the last three weeks. It seems like the department does not want to deal with problematic issues.
Bad connection
CAPE GIRARDEAU'S leaders have chosen the interests of a handful of Procter & Gamble executives over the thousands of citizens in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois who use Cape Girardeau's airport as a convenient way to connect to St. Louis. Currently, a short hop to Lambert-St. Louis allows travelers to fly virtually anywhere in the United States and many international destinations directly from St. Louis. Under the plan approved by the city council, we would be forced to fly to Cincinnati, then fly to either St. Louis or Chicago in order to fly to most destinations. All this change is going to do is add an additional connecting flight, which ultimately will be more expensive and time-consuming. I wish city leaders would not alter a system that is working so well for travelers. I guess I'll drive to St. Louis to catch a flight.
Supporting troops
I RECEIVED an e-mail from my grandson in Iraq. He has been there a year and was to return home in a month. His time has been extended, and his next return time is in August. He expressed great concern and disappointment that there were people in America supporting our troops but wanting to bring them home now. He said that would give the enemy hope, take away our troops' ability to destroy the insurgents. He couldn't believe the same people wanted to withhold money and troops that they need. He said if this is the way that they plan to help, he hopes they stop trying to help. He is proud to be serving his country, and I am very proud of him. But to his grandma it seems like a long time until August.
Support optimism
I REMEMBER women wearing shoulder pads and having male envy. For women, developing their masculine sides is healthy. Likewise, I remember men wearing pink shirts and developing the feminine part of their psyche, which is desirable as well. We have a problem. Everyone today in this country, from 3 to 93, is completely yang. We have too much macho. Anger is depression turned outward. The anger will hurt you. This is not a sermon. This is an appeal to those who won't deny truth, those who want to bring joy and easiness back to their lives. Keeping to the feminine and being passive is a great way to live. Your days won't be ruined by stress. Do not believe in pessimism. There must be cognitive methods utilizing rational truths to support optimism. Make your lives and your immediate environment a beautiful thing. Buy flowers, plants and small fish in an aquarium. Delight and focus on the beauty in the world.
Driving pollution
SOME PEOPLE think race cars are polluting the air. Do these people drive? If they do, every time they get in their car and start it up, they pollute the air.
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Missing words
HOLD ON to your newly minted $1 coin. I think the U.S. Mint made a mistake and forgot to the put "In God We Trust" on the base of the coin. The quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies are so designated. I wonder who approved this deletion and why. Where does the buck of approval stop? Keep your coins, because it appears that a mistake was made. They will be more valuable eventually.
Help the homeless
THE TERRIBLE misery endured by the homeless in this country should be a priority over health care for the working class. I have been homeless on a few occasions. A hot meal and a cigarette are quite a relief for the hopelessness felt by the chronic homeless.
Stop the burning
I CAN'T believe Cape Girardeau allows individuals to burn any kind of waste. The city banned many fireworks because of fire hazards, but it's OK to light fires. This is a danger to neighboring property. It is air pollution. Trash trucks should pick up bagged yard waste. The leaf pickup in the fall should happen as the leaves come down, not after they have been on the streets for weeks. The city's signs do not hurt people or make them ill. The city's smoke does.
Weather-wise
YOU SURE don't have to hit our president on the head very often. You just have to have everybody in the world mad at him for the way he took care of Hurricane Katrina victims. Now he runs off to every little in the country.
Ridiculous rules
MY HUSBAND was a contractor in Illinois. He was fined for ridiculous rules that no one could keep up with. He had insurance and paid taxes like any honest businessman would. Some of his competition operated illegally, which OSHA has no control over. It seems like the federal government wants to punish honest citizens, while illegal aliens can do as they please. Thank goodness he works for someone else now, and it's his employer's problem.
School reports
I'M READING in the paper that there is a House bill to require schools to report salaries and benefits paid to school administrators. It's House Bill 771. I am in favor of this bill. School districts have done a lot of things they don't want people to know about. If it's published and made available on a regular basis, they would be exposed.
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