Speak Out 6/17/13

Allenville bridge

A response about the Allenville bridge. It is a perfect waste and a neglect of the perfectly good bridge. The railroad in Jackson is still running and doing well. The people who run the line and bridge are a separate group. They just want the money off the metal in the rails. The railroad in Jackson is getting better and better every year, despite a group not wanting them to run anymore.

Crime wave

I would like to comment about the recent crime spree we've had in Cape Girardeau, particularly the homicide that took place [recently] when a lady and her son were murdered. Why was the police department so hush-hush about it? I believe the citizens of Cape Girardeau have a right to know what took place if we have a murderer in this town. We deserve to know what happened and the outcome of it because they're people in Cape that may be frightened of some idiot running loose.

Snow-job

All I can say about this Edward Snowden guy who's taken off to Hong Kong and acts like he's hiding out is that if you're going to pretend you have a big story, make it something really big. I don't know what he is thinking is so controversial. Snowden, next time dig deeper to find something on the government.

To tell the truth

Is there anyone in the Obama administration who tells the truth or does his job without first trying to quiet down the things that are coming out against government departments? It is totally ridiculous the shape our country is in.

Pill issues

What kind of a bunch of people are running this country? I have to sign for my child to be able to get an aspirin at school, yet my same child can get the morning-after pill by just walking into a drugstore. That doesn't make any sense.

Hillary's files

I notice that people are upset about the NSA wiretapping people's phones without warrants, but they weren't upset when Hillary Clinton got caught with 800 FBI files.

Student loans

While most of you worry about the Benghazi and IRS pseudo-scandals, there is something that's going to happen July 1 that will affect you and you can do something about it. Student loan rates are set to double on July 1 unless Congress acts. Contact your new congressman and your two senators, especially if you have kids in college, because this will affect you.

Something to remember

It's only common courtesy to call ahead before dropping in to visit someone.

Waller's sentence

I think Clay Waller's sentence was nothing. He should have gotten life without parole or a death sentence for what he did. Now he'll be in there for 20 years and we have to support him. It's very disgusting.

Lung transplant

The true face of Obamacare is now coming out. Kathleen Sebelius was trying to deny a 10-year-old girl the right to receive a lung transplant. Without it, she would've died and Sebelius was going to let her die. This is those death boards that people were warned about. It will be extended to older people and other people who are sick. People will be denied the help they need. You think Obama's friends won't be getting help? If that had been Sebelius' daughter, she would've gotten the transplant right away.

No leadership

Isn't it amazing that the elected leader of the most powerful nation on Earth knows nothing when it comes to conflict or dirt on his administration? Oh, the credit he takes for guiding this great country, but when it comes to taking responsibility, he shrugs it off. If he was the CEO of a company, they would be looking for a replacement by now. Just waiting for him to plead the Fifth.

Esquire memories

That was an interesting story and list of the buildings considered historically significant and in need of preservation and rehabilitation. One of those buildings was the Esquire Theater. I strongly concur that it needs to be rehabbed and preserved, though not for the reasons given. I want it fixed up because that's the theater where I saw the original "Psycho," took my very first date, became friends with "Bud," the ticket taker, broke a tooth eating Jujubes, and got caught by my strict mom coming out of when I was supposed to be at a meeting of church youth.

Research Heritage

Please refrain from publishing the results of studies by the Heritage Foundation. A recent one purported to show a large socio-economic cost to society if comprehensive immigration reform is implemented. It has been discredited for a variety of reasons, one being that the statistician for the study has been deemed a racist. Seeing Heritage Foundation study results published in the Speak Out forum tarnishes its reputation of inerrancy.

Mosquito spraying

I just found out our city will not be spraying for mosquitoes anymore; it's not in the budget. Are you kidding?! We live by a river, in case you hadn't noticed. Right now you can't even go outside without being swarmed by gnats and mosquitoes. Let's drop the dog park idea and have the funding for spraying and fireworks on the 4th, something the entire city will benefit from.

Numbers

A caller's comment about our Social Security numbers being safe echoed my own thoughts. When I go to appointments at the hospital or doctor offices I am openly asked to state my Social Security number. I am also asked to give it over the phone. This worries me. We fill out paper after paper; can't we be given a patient number to use instead.

Socialized medicine

With regard to the caller stating socialized medicine doesn't work: If that's the case, why does every single industrialized nation have some form of socialized medicine except the U.S. and Mexico? Most of those systems are single-payer, too. Even Costa Rica has socialized health care, and I wouldn't even call them a developed nation.

Another roundabout

May I suggest a roundabout at the intersection of Lambert Drive and Shirley Drive -- near Sam's? It would certainly solve a traffic snafu.