OpinionApril 7, 2009
Speak Out 4/7/09
Great administrator; Narrow definition; Replace worn flags; Making laws; Health care help; Illegal meeting; President on point; Less safe now; Storm fears; It's a tax increase; Political control; Just the opposite; Making history; Unsupervised children
Great administrator
JACKSON School District is losing a great administrator. Dr. Andrew Rogers will be missed as a wonderful role model for our children. He has served our country, our community and our students well. It is a shame that he will be leaving.
Narrow definition
I read where state Sen. Jason Crowell wants "welfare recipients" tested for drugs. Is it safe to assume his definition of welfare recipients is a narrow one and does not include the corporate class?
Replace worn flags
I would like to remind businesses, hospitals, banks, those in charge of the cross display near the interstate, citizens and homeowners that torn and tattered U.S. flags need to be replaced. The American Legion and VFW can properly and respectfully dispose of the old flags, so please donate those that are showing signs of wear and have completed their time of service by flying so beautifully.
Making laws
SO what do we call a country where the courts and judges make the laws and the elected representatives represent special interests? America.
Health care help
PLEASE help them. President Obama, the business community is begging you to free them from their health care burden.
Illegal meeting
A couple of weeks ago I was waiting for the elevator on the first floor of the Cape Girardeau County administration building. I overheard two men discussing whether the county should move forward with chip and seal on our county roads. I turned the corner to see who the two men were. To my surprise it was commissioners Paul Koeper and Gerald Jones. Has the county commission learned anything over the last year? Evidently not. Two commissioners cannot discuss any public matters without posting an agenda and informing the public of a meeting. We might as well vote all of the elected officials out and put a charter form of government in its place.
President on point
PRESIDENT Obama's trip to the G-20 summit proved out to be better than expected. The president handled himself and his world counterparts well. I was able to hear him talk to them about the world's financial problems as well as America's financial problems. He was on point and stayed with the topic. For that, he was praised by the majority of the world's leaders and was given much respect by those in attendance. He has accomplished more in this one trip than George Bush did in eight years. What does that tell me? I can already tell President Obama is much more in tune with the world's economics and much smarter than Bush. President Obama shows that we need dialogue with the other world countries. It is not about showing who has the best military and who can fight a no-win war and wasting lives. I know the other world leaders have already given President Obama respect that the previous administration never earned. All America needs to do is stick with the new president. He will not lead us wrong. Congrats to the new face of America. It is shining brightly already. This is what a superpower's president should be acting like.
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Less safe now
ALL you have to do is Google Missouri militia and survivalist groups and you will see that the squashing of the Missouri State Highway Patrol about them by self-proclaimed conservatives made each Missourian less safe.
Storm fears
I truly feel for children with storm phobias. I am not a child anymore, but I know the fear since the ice storm of 2007 in Jackson, the terrible flood five weeks later and the hail. Now every time a cloud comes up with possible wind damage and heavy rain, I know the horror that comes from the sounds. You tell yourself it's going to be OK, God is going to take care of us, but the sound is still there. I still fear heavy wind because I am still trying to get the ice damage cleaned up so it will not crash through windows or my roof. Kids, you are not alone, I feel for you. This feeling is very real and not comfortable.
It's a tax increase
DESPITE the acceptance and gleeful joy of many, a tobacco tax is by definition a tax which our president supports and which targets lower-income citizens. This is a reversal of his statements that there would be no taxes raised for the less-wealthy. According to the Heritage Foundation: "A tobacco tax disproportionately burdens low-income Americans, lacks long-term stability ... . With the number of smokers already declining, a tobacco tax would further reduce the number of smokers, thereby eroding the funding source. To produce the revenue that Congress needs to fund SCHIP expansion through such a tax would require 22.4 million new smokers by 2017." Is there anyone who thinks a family with over $70,000 cannot afford insurance premiums? Is there anyone who logically believes this is not about money as well as broken campaign promises? What will be the justification for the next I-won't-raise-taxes tax increases? Same old politics, different party?
Political control
WHAT would be the motivation for the Obama administration to refuse repayment from banks of TARP funds? If the president really wants the economy to recover, you would think he would welcome the repayment of millions of dollars. But if he has political motivations and wants to exert political control over the banking sector, he would have to force the banks to keep the money so he can dictate their banking policy. This foray into fascism should scare the hell out of everyone.
Just the opposite
DARN it. Sometimes I think David Limbaugh is just on a lengthy string of bad luck. His most recent column took President Obama's Justice Department to task for allegedly becoming politicized. However, just a few days earlier, Democrat Attorney General Eric Holder threw out the charges in a case whereby Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens had been the victim of prosecutorial misconduct by the Bush Justice Department, thus proving just the opposite of Limbaugh's thesis. Folks, it's getting to the point that I'm beginning to believe the content of Limbaugh's columns is being leaked to the Obama administration so that it can launch a virtual pre-emptive strike and destroy the truth of Limbaugh's polarizing point of view.
Making history
I never thought I'd be saying this, but I couldn't care less that my children and grandchildren and many more generations to come are going to have to pay for President Obama's massive spending. Why? Because the majority of people who voted him in were first-time voters who were sold on the idea of making history, along with young college adults and workers. So, my dear children, welcome to the real world. When you get older and Mommy and Daddy can no longer support your spending and you're working several jobs to make ends meat, remember you were part of history. Congratulations.
Unsupervised children
I would like to thank the parks and recreation department for sponsoring the Easter egg hunt at Capaha Park. The department did an outstanding job, and I realize it put a lot of time into the event. However, the parents who let their children run around unsupervised ruined the day for many of us. My children and nephews were in the youngest age group, so we waited for our turn to hunt with others their age. When our turn came, children and teenagers much older than mine ran to get eggs and nearly knocked the small children to the ground. My 2-year-old did not get any eggs. I was disappointed, as were many other parents.
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