Speak Out 6/12/07

Switch the troops

WE HAVE over 50,000 troops in Germany, and more than that are stationed in South Korea. They should change duty with the overworked troops in Iraq.

Porn on TV

REGARDING YOUR recent article about the affect of porn: TV ads and programs are guilty of porn. Do you accept it, or are you disgusted? If you're disgusted, have you called to complain?

A better idea

$464,000 TO put in sidewalks on the east side of Cape Rock Drive from Lexington Avenue to Perryville Road? Such a destruction of beautiful property. Just who makes these decisions? Is there not a better way to spend the taxpayers' hard-earned money? Why not repair the many potholes and cracks in the streets? There are many more cars than runners in this town.

Staged debates

DON'T PRETEND that these candidate debates, especially the Republicans', are anything other than rigged theater designed to cull underdogs while establishment-approved candidates are exalted. Ron Paul, a real conservative, has yet again been sidelined by the media. Paul has been beating all other candidates, according to live online polls, in every debate. And he has more than double the subscriptions to his MySpace and YouTube than any other candidate, Republican or Democrat. It's a free and democratic society only if you can pay for it.

Senator McQueeg

THE MEDIA might dub John McCain as a "maverick", but to many when he waggles his finger and ends each point with "my friends" he seems more like Senator McQueeg. His immigration bill is no friend to working-class Americans.

Gasoline and taxes

COMPARING FUEL taxes between countries of similar development is important, considering that oil is traded on the world market. Demonstrating that we pay substantially less than other nations is a good argument to the people who are complaining about high fuel costs and how tax breaks could alleviate some of their budget constraints. In other words, the amount of taxes we pay today is not enough, considering that an alarming amount of our roads are in dire need of repair.

Max the tax

Wow! A new half-cent sales tax for Cape.

On new taxes, the city has gone ape.

Car dealers should be up in arms.

For car buyers it should send up alarms.

If you're thinking new car, repent.

The sales tax will now be 8 percent.

Too much tax

RAISE THE sales tax again? No way. This is ridiculous. What is Cape Girardeau doing with all the tax money we give them now? There should be plenty of money to make repairs to existing buildings, because that should have been budgeted years ago. You don't wait for something to wear out to figure out how to fix it. We pay too much in taxes now. I will fight this one.

Dedicated tax

SO THE city is saying a new half-cent park tax would be dedicated to fixing storm-water drains and parks. Just like the public safety tax would be dedicated to public safety. That's why public works got a new building immediately after the tax passed and the police department can't even get new ceiling tiles. Some other city employees even got larger pay increases than firefighters and police. I would encourage citizens to do their homework before voting for another tax that is dedicated to certain city departments.

Which to obey?

I HOPE the parent favoring picking and choosing which laws to obey doesn't think it's an admirable act of civil disobedience to disobey traffic lights.

Unneeded advice

WE SHOULD all applaud Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle for his wisdom in showing underage, drinking law breakers how to get through a loophole in the law about refusing to take a breathalyzer test. Let's make it easier for lawbreakers to avoid punishment by telling them that they won't get their license revoked if they refuse the test an officer gives them.

Wrong move

I CAN'T believe the Galesburg, Ill., school officials caved in and gave the children of loudmouth families their diplomas. School officials should have stuck to their guns and denied the diplomas to these people who obviously can't understand the notices about no outbursts during graduation.

Only the ones we like

MANY LEGISLATORS and, if memory serves me correctly, the Southeast Missourian editorial staff, have complained about the Missouri Constitution's being overloaded with amendments. However, the Southeast Missourian and, apparently, a lot of lawmakers seem ready to try to amend the constitution and outlaw collective bargaining for public employees, recently legalized by the Missouri Supreme Court. On the surface this seems to be a glaring inconsistency on the part of heretofore opponents of adding still more constitutional amendments to our state constitution. However, if one digs deeper, it becomes apparent that it is not. The real position of the newspaper and the legislature is that they do not want amendments added to the constitution that they oppose. And vice versa.

Illegal hiring

WE CAN stop illegal immigration if we prosecute those who hire them. But 20 years after Congress mandated an adequate way for employers to check legal status, it is still not in place. Our glorious leader's slothful due diligence created the crisis-in-trust that killed yet another "comprehensive scam."

Light of day

LET EACH part of the "comprehensive immigration bill" face the light of day as a stand-alone bill and see how many senators will vote for it, starting with giving gang members and felons a fast track to citizenship. Step up and tell us this is the best you can do and how awful we are for not wanting it.

Definition of justice

WHAT HAS justice come to mean in this country? Apparently, the justice system will prosecute you as long as you aren't a celebrity. The recent situation concerning Paris Hilton is absurd. Every individual knows this occurred because Paris is a celebrity. This makes me want to doubt the capability of the justice system and its enforcers.