OpinionJune 20, 2009
Speak Out 6/20/09
Bus drivers texting; Unconstitutional; Fringe threat; Honoring Lansmon; Killing a baby; Sales tax holiday; Cape's finances; Airport expenses; Interchange plans; Picnic for veterans; Shelter rules; Caruthers signal
Bus drivers texting
MY Family lives in Scott City, and my daughter attends the elementary school. The other morning during a morning downpour of rain, my daughter was standing at my front door ready to run out to the bus. The bus passed by while the driver was looking down at her cell phone. Where are the laws protecting our children who ride these buses? How safe are our children in the hands of these bus drivers?
Unconstitutional
MAYBE I'm stretching it a bit, but to me a Speak Out comment at least implied that Joe Sullivan's failure to mention the U.S. Constitution in a recent column was unconstitutional.
Fringe threat
IN the past two weeks we've had a doctor shot at his own church and security guard shot to death at our national Holocaust museum. Both murderers were fringe right-wing extremists. These are the type of lone wolves that our national security advisers warned us about. I hope those Republicans who complained about that report now realize what the fuss was about.
Honoring Lansmon
IT'S nice that Willard Vandiver has a hall on the Southeast Missouri State University campus named after him. There should be a hall somewhere on campus named after Joseph Lansmon. He did so much for this area, building the seminary, Old St. Vincent's Church and the bridge at Bollinger Mill. Maybe it could be called Lansmon Hall. They've got pictures and exhibits about him out at the museum in Cape Girardeau.
Killing a baby
REGARDING Gene Lyons' column: Late-term abortion is killing a baby. The baby is born intact. A puncture wound in the head kills the live baby. I have no idea how anyone can condone this.
Sales tax holiday
I would like an explanation as to why Cape Girardeau is not participating in the back-to-school sales tax holiday. People are going to Jackson to shop, I don't blame them.
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Cape's finances
CAPE Girardeau is in a financial crisis. We haven't heard this from Jackson or Cape Girardeau County. All three have the same economic base. Companies deal with flat or dropping revenue all the time. Some handle it well and survive, and others do not. Cape Girardeau only seems to increase our fees.
Airport expenses
I don't know how much money goes to pay for the terminal, staff and infrastructure at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, but it has to be a lot. It's nice to say we have an airport, but no one uses it. Cut off the airport or do something like what Poplar Bluff did when it leased out the airport. We could save a lot of money.
Interchange plans
JACKSON had a vision for the new interchange on I-55. It has a frontage road, and development has started. Cape Girardeau's frontage road hasn't been started, and development is far behind on the Cape side of the interchange.
Picnic for veterans
THE picnic for the veterans was an amazing event that I was lucky enough to witness firsthand. My grandfather has been at the Missouri Veterans Home for a month and will have to remain there. It brought a tear to your eye to see the young soldiers sitting quietly listening while the older veterans told their stories. I believe with all my heart the veterans had a great day and hope this is the start of an annual event for them. I know my grandpa enjoyed himself.
Shelter rules
I have run a homeless shelter since the 1960s. The only qualification is that the residents must be either relatives or friends of mine. There are some rules. They have to help with house and yard work. They have to have, or actively search for, at least a part-time job, regardless of the pay scale. They have to do their own laundry and keep their own rooms clean. If the Rev. Larry Rice were to concentrate more on helping people become self-reliant instead of providing them a place to sleep while they continue in their destructive lifestyles, there might be more support for his proposed shelters everywhere he goes.
Caruthers signal
WHY can't the traffic signal at Broadway and Caruthers Avenue be set to respond to traffic flow? Almost every time I'm on Broadway approaching Caruthers, the light changes to red even though there is no cross traffic on Caruthers. This means having to wait for -- nothing. Can't something be done about this?
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