Speak Out 5/21/08

Clipping crisis

ONLY IN Speak Out would more attention be given to lawn clippings in the streets than the suffering in China and Myanmar.

Oil and food

IF SAUDI Arabia won't help us out on the oil issue. why don't we raise the price of grain and other food they purchase from us? Two can play this game. Let them eat their oil.

Fun time for all

KUDOS TO Old Town Cape for the start of another fabulous Tunes at Twilight season. There was a huge crowd, and it was a fun time for all. Great job, Old Town Cape.

Wonderful event

I ATTENDED Artscape for the first time. What a wonderful event. It is such a fun family time with lots to do and see. Great job, Cape Girardeau.

Not a deer problem

I DO not believe for one minute that dogs bark all the time due to deer. Of course a dog is going to bark at a deer in someone's yard, but I don't see a problem with deer within the Cape Girardeau city limits. What I do see is a problem with owners of dogs who have learned to tune out dogs barking and are not considerate of the neighborhood.

City raises

PEOPLE NEED to stop lying about Cape Girardeau city employees not getting a raise. The fact is, they are getting a 2 percent cost-of-living raise. A raise is a raise.

Careful drilling

I AM all for drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, because we are getting to the point that we cannot depend on foreign oil. But I don't want to see the American people stuck with a barren and lifeless piece of land that used to be ANWR. I will only support the drilling of ANWR if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees it.

Smart farmers

ETHANOL CRITICS are jealous because they are not subsidy-receiving corn farmers who are getting rich. Cut the farmers some slack for their being the backbone of the nation as well for their political acumen.

Comparing raises

CITY EMPLOYEES of Cape Girardeau are complaining that they only get a 2 percent cost-of-living increase and not a raise. My raise for the year was only 3 percent. Why should I be too upset over the fact that city employees feel they're not getting enough money?

Depression logic

HIGH OIL prices are going to lead to a new Great Depression, and this is how. With so much money going to the buying of gasoline, everything from small businesses to whole sectors of the economy will be going out of business. This will lead to massive unemployment, which will lead to the last surviving economic sector, Big Oil, to go out of business. Anybody can see this coming using simple logic.

Student success

I SAT through the longest award ceremony at Notre Dame Regional High School, and I want to say "Congratulations" to all of the students for achieving such tremendous success. Way to go!

Checks bogged down

IF YOU are wondering where your economic-stimulus check is, don't call the IRS number on its Web site. "Due to the high volume of calls, we can't answer your call." That tells me Uncle Sam isn't upholding his part of the bargain. I was supposed to receive my check May 9 by direct deposit. I haven't seen my check yet. I guess the IRS computers are on vacation like most of my government at any one time.