Speak Out 4/14/05

No comparison

THE SMOKING-obesity comparison is silly. When is the last time an overweight person filled the air around you with his food? When is the last time an overweight person caused your allergies to go haywire? Smokers, keep grabbing at those straws. Keep trying to make yourself feel better about harming those around you.

Looking for money

IT IS disturbing for me to read that someone thinks the Jackson School Board has the ability to find needed funding for a new high school. Where would that person propose the board come up with those funds? Maybe the person who proposed this should be put in charge of the project. There is no historical significance to those old school buildings. They are rundown, dangerous structures that need to be replaced.

Love the children

I AM a tenured teacher at Jackson High School. When did the citizens and parents stop caring about and loving their children? The current high school has the worst working conditions in this community. Please, Jackson, find it in your heart to love your children again.

Study the market

SCOTT MOYERS acts like it would be such a great thing to have a Home Depot. What's great about market oversaturation? Studying the competition and chances of success are part of good business. Corporate America should do more of it! Remember Albertson's?

Ticket offenders

YOUR STORY that 80 percent of trucks hauling trash are uncovered is astounding. I've seen these trucks with garbage blowing out. Come on, city hall, enforce the law. Don't just ticket the people who drop dangerous items. Those who don't secure any load, including trash, should be ticketed too. No wonder we have a trash problem.

Population growth

TO ALL those who attended Jackson High School way back when and don't think more room is needed: Did you ever think of the population difference in the school district then and now?

Bad location

I AGREE with the comment about the Cape Girardeau post office moving back to the old location. There must have been a lot of politics going on for that to happen. There is no more parking space down there than there is where the post office is now. I think the old Sears store would have a better location, much more centralized and lots of parking space. Why should two-thirds of the population and businesses of Cape have to go way down there? How about a substation out our way?

No vote, no buy

FOR ALL of you Jackson residents who voted no on the bond issue and have children in parochial schools: Next time your child comes to my door with a fund raiser for your parochial school, I will refuse to buy. You want people to buy things to help your private school but will vote no on my son's improved high school.

Brilliant strategy

YOU'VE GOT to give Missouri's Republican legislators credit. They will pass and the governor will sign draconian legislation some call immoral that eviscerates Medicaid. Then said cuts will be rightfully reinstated by the courts. The conscience of Republicans will be assuaged by the actions of the courts, but they will posture and pretend that the power and jurisdiction of the court is excessive, all for political gain. And, it will work. Brilliant.

Beautiful ham

I HAVE to thank Tina Phlippin for making such a beautiful ham for our senior luncheon. Deb and Pedro are so lucky to have such a caring grandmother. Tina's dynamite chef skills are very much appreciated. She's always there on Thursdays to help Ricco and me out at our tiny Scott City church. The seniors of the Scott City First Bible Church thank you.

Ethanol subsidy

ETHANOL COSTS less than regular? That's true, if you discount a substantial government subsidy courtesy of the taxpayers.

Make better case

THE JACKSON School Board needs to educate the citizens about the needs of the high school. My mother is a senior resident who did not vote for the bond issue because she was confused about the tax relief for seniors. She does not have cable, so she did not see the video on the public-access channel. If you want the bond issue to pass, preach to the people who are voting no and convince them, as you did me, that our children are worth that tax increase.

Courting disaster

FOR THOSE who keep saying Jackson High School was fine when they attended it, I'm sure it was. However, this is 20 years later, and there are more students attending a building that is now 80 years old. What's going to happen when a terrible disaster occurs at that school because it was beyond repair? Kids could get hurt or even killed. I would much rather pay higher taxes to benefit the students than be selfish and feel guilty when something that could be prevented happens.

Keep it separate

WHERE ARE all the horn blowers for the separation of church and state? Will we be flying the flag at half-staff for all religious leaders from now on, or just for Catholics?

Layoff notification

I WOULD like to thank the media for letting employees know that we were facing a layoff. The staff at Dana Corp. did not let anyone know about a layoff except to post a note at 4:30 p.m. Friday stating we were going to three shifts. I cannot believe how the management team of the Cape Girardeau plant can let the media know about cutbacks before notifying the people who work for them and have made the Cape plant the most profitable in the division.

Paying for trip

LAST WEEK, the Southeast Missourian reported on a trip state legislators, including Rod Jetton, took to Hot Springs, Ark. In the article, he explained he didn't know who shelled out the money for the hotel rooms and the trip. The Springfield News-Leader this week reported R.J. Reynolds, a big tobacco lobbyist, paid for the trip and motel rooms.

Cut back on bus trips

I DON'T think it's selfish at all for us to keep some of the money we've worked hard to earn. The Jackson School Board needs to cut back on a bunch of stuff. One thing they could do is cut back on hauling these kids all over the country to play ballgames.

McClure cleanup

I'D LIKE to congratulate the mayor-elect of McClure, Ill., and all the trustees who got voted in for our new village. I'm hoping they will start keeping their yards clean.

Elaborate building

THE TAX isn't the reason the Jackson School District's bond issue won't pass, It's the elaborate building the district wants to build. The students could learn and study in a lot less expensive building.

Dog in danger

THERE'S A little black dog that wanders all over the Sunset area that needs to be confined by its owners. It is going to get hit and killed. My wife and I have both seen it come close to being killed several times. It's had traffic tied up on Sunset Boulevard with as many as five or six cars stopped while it walks down the middle of the road. It's really an atrocious situation.

Scott City cleanup

GOING THROUGH Scott City recently I was truly impressed to see police chief Don Cobb overseeing some of the prisoners picking up trash. I went through town and came back about two hours later, and he was still there rather than taking his officers from their jobs. Thanks, chief. Keep up the good work.

Too many taxes

I WANT to congratulate the citizens of Jackson for not having to spend even more tax money on schools. Every two to three years, the school district asks for more tax money for more schools, but these taxes never get dropped. I can hardly afford to live in this town with all these school taxes.

Tuition, not bonds

I'M CALLING in regards to the tax situation in the Jackson School District. The fairest way to build a school is to charge tuition. That way the people using it will pay for it.