Speak Out 4/24/08

Campus comparison

FOR EVERYONE who finds a reason to complain about Southeast Missouri State University, take a few minutes to read about Three Rivers Community College these days and you'll soon be glad you are sending your students to Southeast. Faculty and staff, aren't you glad you're not working for Three Rivers? TRCC has been hand-picked by the state auditor to conduct an audit of the community college's records. It should be an interesting summer on their campus and ours.

Take care of our own

SOME OF us cannot afford a lot of insurance. Some people do not have a choice on where they live. They live within their means because they are not making enough to do otherwise. There are those who take advantage of the system, but most individuals are honest people and when in need of help find it embarrassing to ask for help and are made to feel lower than dirt by agencies and individuals who do not understand how hard it was to ask in the first place. I'd rather pay taxes and have it help our own who have been devastated by a broken levee, tornado or other disasters than have my money go to another country. If anything, we and our government need to take care of our own.

Other roads to pave

THE CAPE Girardeau County Commission and the Road and Bridge Advisory Commission are so concerned about paving our county roads they have forgotten about the roads that are not on their list for paving. How about showing the same concern for these gravel roads? Haul some chat and do some maintenance on them. Do not use brush removal as an excuse for not maintaining roads. That excuse is getting old.

Greener businesses

AS A resident and consumer in Cape Girardeau, I have noticed the alarming amount of energy waste in our community. Take businesses, for example, that keep lights on 24 hours a day, wasting energy that could be used for greener purposes. I think it's time for our community to start supporting businesses that have a sense of social responsibility and have made it part of their business strategy to help promote the welfare of our planet.

Gasoline madness

GASOLINE PRICES are off the charts. How do we survive when we drive our vehicles for a living? How do we survive when we drive 30 miles round trip to get to work every day? How many jobs must we hold down to be able to make ends meet? Is there an end to this madness?