Speak Out 6/20/08

Who's in charge?

I'M WONDERING who is supposed to be running our country. We elect people who are supposed to be doing what is best for our country, but it appears to me environmentalists and lobbyists are the ones who are actually running our country. Meanwhile, foreign countries are buying up everything they can in our country. We are going to go down from the inside, because Americans are not going to own anything here and we don't take care of our own people.

Christian foundation

AT THE time of the American Revolution in 1775, 99.8 percent of the citizens claimed to be Christians. Furthermore, 98.4 percent were Protestants, and 1.4 percent were Roman Catholics. All the leaders, including Washington, were Christians except for one. This country was founded on Christianity, and it was founded to keep the government from getting involved in the church and for making laws pertaining to the church and to stay out of the church.

Flood help

I READ in Saturday's paper where the people in Dutchtown voted not to take the buyout from FEMA. As far as I'm concerned, if they don't take that buyout, they need to quit expecting the federal and state governments to get them out of trouble when there's a flood. Taxpayers in Missouri have better things to do than help these people get out of a flood every time it happens because they don't want to move. They need to get out of there.

Plenty of gamblers

CAPE GIRARDEAU missed out on the casino. We go to Caruthersville every Wednesday, sometimes on Friday and every Sunday, and we see people from Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Perryville, Advance and everywhere.

Fire district changes

I HAVE been a resident in the East County Fire District for the past 24 years. This past weekend we lost our chief, assistant chief, several first responders and a wonderful firefighter. Our chief has served our community for 27 years and should be commended for the wonderful job he has done. He has bent over backward for our community and his fellow firefighters. Our assistant chief has been his right arm for many years and, like our chief, his children have followed his footsteps. I would like to thank each and every one of them for making my family feel safe for the past 24 years. I hope the people who gave them no choice but to resign are able to sleep at night because they have ruined a wonderful fire department. I know some day we will recover from this loss, but no one can fill Chief Hank's boots. Thank you for letting me speak out.

Look for the positive

GRAMMAR HAS little to do with being a county commissioner. It's experience, being available on a full-time basis and, most of all, common sense. Mr. Perfect doesn't exist, especially here in Cape Girardeau. We need to look for the positive in a commissioner, not hunt for every negative little thing we can find.

Saving bus fuel

I READ the article about how much fuel the Jackson school buses use during the school year. One way to save some fuel: Drivers who keep their buses at home after the afternoon route should leave a vehicle at the bus garage to take them home after their morning route instead of using the bus. There are at least seven buses that drive at least 15 miles or more one way, wasting a lot of fuel. Due to the increased cost of fuel, the district would save a lot of money. This is a waste of taxpayers' money that could be spent somewhere else in the district.