Speak Out 4/24/07

Bicycle lanes

I HOPE Cape Girardeau will do all the road improvements the bicyclists want. They are needed. From what I see every day, especially on the weekends, bikers don't obey the rules of the road. They need their own lanes.

Trash cans

THERE ARE not plenty of trash cans. Any place that generates trash should be required to have a trash can.

Deer in the street

I WAS recently going down North Sprigg Street, and there were about 15 deer running across the road. The street is poorly lit. I almost had an accident. I wish Cape Girardeau would do something about this, because there could be an accident. I don't want to see somebody get hurt.

Tax perspective

ONE OF your readers commented that the president paid one-seventh of his total earnings in taxes and went on to say tax breaks aren't just for the rich. I am not a math genius, but one-seventh is about 14 percent. The tax rate was dropped by 3 percent, which is not much if you make $50,000 but is a lot if you make over $500,000. The Bushes had a gross income in 2005 of $735,180, so they saved about $17,000. For those making minimum wage, I think they would consider $17,000 a hell of a lot of money.

Focus on friendly

THANK YOU, Sam Blackwell, for your perspective on the VT tragedy. If more of us choose to focus on our universe as friendly just as we focus on our own personal selves as friendly, we would become that and contribute to a new and better world.

Uptown Homecomers

JACKSON HOMECOMERS does not need to be in the park. The park is beautiful and would be torn up with all the trash. And the park is not the traditional place. Uptown is the tradition. Why change it? It only lasts a week. I live a few blocks away, and I have to reroute my routine. But I can handle that for one week.

Getting a bad name

SCOTT COUNTY needs to make sure it has the evidence the next time it arrests someone and flashes it all over the news. How can you arrest someone with evidence and drop charges before court starts? Scott County is really giving itself a bad name.

Illinois voting

CAIRO'S RECENT election puts me in mind of the articles in old newspapers about Chicago elections decades ago. Is this an Illinois tradition?

Government programs

OH, GREAT. Another costly program (House Bill 178) would set up a compulsive gamblers fund. Even though it appears on the surface that it would not be funded by tax money, we all know that may not be the case in the future. Do we suspect that the estimated $20,000 to $28,000 for treatment might pay a few administrators some really nice salaries? Yes, gambling can be addictive and can subsequently harm entire families financially. The same could be said for alcohol and even tobacco addictions. Can we continue to afford more government programs?

Loss of decency

IT IS with extreme embarrassment and dismay that we read comments certain hard-core feminists have made about partial-birth abortions. Abortion proponents might argue about whether an egg or fetus is actually a human being, but there is no doubt whatsoever that partial-birth abortions murder living babies. Sometimes I'm ashamed of my fellow women who, in their fight for women's rights, have lost all sense of decency and humanity.

Best location

IF JACKSON were to move Homecomers, don't you think it would have to start charging people for parking or to get in? Having it uptown, the city can use the electricity outlets and street lamps for lighting rather than making a lot more work and expense. Besides, it's a tradition.

Cuts favor the rich

I MADE a modest income. and my tax rate was 16 percent overall plus 7.5 percent for Social Security (which President Bush did not pay) for a total of 23.5 percent. So a millionaire pays about 14 percent, and someone in the middle class pays about 25 percent. I guess that blows conservatives out of the water. The tax cuts did favor the rich.

What's in a boundary?

Leopold's school district

Has broken the law.

But let's don't be strict.

Punish it? Naw.

Great experience

I WOULD like to congratulate all of the participants of the Special Olympics on April 14, as well as the many volunteers who made it possible. It is a great event that helps not only the people who participate, but I feel it helps those who volunteer their time. It was my first time as a volunteer, and it was by far one of the most meaningful things I have done in a while.

No vendettas

I'M SO glad the charges against former sheriff Bill Ferrell were dropped. We are thankful that a special prosecutor was appointed to this case right after the indictment came out. The special prosecutor had no political axes to grind with anyone down here. I'm also glad to see the charges were dropped against patrolman Daniel Ayers, who is a good police officer. Before some prosecutors and law enforcement agencies rush to judgment, I wish they would study a formal complaint in detail before filing charges against innocent people and branding them for life. Our justice system is not designed for this and should not be used for political vendettas.

Wonderful person

CAPE GIRARDEAU and the music world in general lost a wonderful person with the passing of Tommy DeWolf (Johnson). I no longer live in Cape, and have not been fortunate to see the band Drivin' Rain in a long time. My hearts go out to Timexx and the rest of the crew. I cried like a baby when I read of Tommy's death in the paper. Rest in peace, my friend.

A good officer

I AM so glad all charges were dropped against Daniel Ayers. I knew all along he was innocent. I hope at the very least he gets a public apology. I hope he will consider being a cop again. We need more cops out there like him.