Speak Out 7/16/08

Fantastic open house

I WANT to commend the SEMMA Club for its fantastic open house last weekend. Thanks largely to the hard work and planning of Brian Seyer and Kenny New to help turn an old landfill into a great airfield for remote-controlled planes. Watching so many pilots (some from quite a distance away) fly their jets, biplanes and other craft was truly amazing. Thanks, SEMMA. I can't wait for the next event.

Suspicious behavior

CAPE GIRARDEAU County 2nd District Commissioner Jay Purcell exposes the fact that Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones and 1st District Commissioner Larry Bock voted to sell park ground without public input. They then retaliate and remove Purcell as head of parks. They then put themselves in charge of parks, allowed illegal park board meetings to occur to support their cause, ignored Purcell's request to have public input, finalized the sale and struck through the provision of the contract that would have guaranteed that the proceeds of the sale would go back to parks. Why would any member of the county park board or the commission be for a plan that sells the park ground that they are entrusted to protect and then let the commission strike through a clause in the sales contract that allows them to use the money for anything they want? Something is suspicious about these actions.

Taxing question

I WANT to know why is immigration such a big deal in the U.S. Why is it that illegal immigrants can come to the U.S. and work, not pay taxes and enjoy the same things we do. Is there not a way to tax them so everybody pays? I know of plenty of workers in this area who complain that they work with illegals but don't make as much because American citizens have to pay taxes and the immigrants don't. Why do American workers who are legal get taxed more than illegal workers who really have no right to be here in the first place?

Taxpayer bailouts

Privatize the gains.

Socialize the losses.

New leaders will always be

The same as our old bosses.

Same old art

I HAVE attended First Friday art gallery shows for quite some time now, and it is getting boring. There is rarely anything different. The galleries rotate the art and claim they are having different artists, but that is rarely the case.

Affordable care

I HAVE no argument with Sean Hannity and others who consistently hammer away at the idea that America has the best health-care system in the world. It does, for the few who can afford it.

Hear the banjos?

YOU'VE HEARD the politically incorrect joke about a couple of guys paddling down a river in Appalachia and one guy says to the other, "Paddle faster. I hear banjos." That's the way I felt after I read a comment about Neal Boyd needing to be a lot more country and a lot less classical because classical music "gets boring real fast."

Taking stock

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Are both in great big trouble.

Will we never, ever learn

What happens to a stock bubble?

Speed-limit driving

THIS IS for all the people who think driving slower is safer: Stay out of my way. If you want to go 55 mph, fine. But don't do it in the left lane! And good luck with driving 55 mph when you're on I-270 in St. Louis. It's people like you who cause wrecks. If you can't drive the speed limit, you should not be on the dang interstate.

Not a pundit

I BEG to differ with Gary Rust's description of Rush Limbaugh as a "pundit" (learned person). No learned person of my acquaintance uses ugly epithets and ad hominem arguments to make his or her points.

Golfers first

WOW. I was right. When the parks and sewer tax passed, I said the first thing to happen would be at the Jaycee Municipal Golf Course. And sure enough 25 new golf carts and other improvements to the golf course happened. It is nice to know that I will be paying more taxes for the golfers. Poor people. They have it so rough.

Auto efficiency

I SAW a TV report in which an automotive instructor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale stated that automobile manufacturers design their cars, both the engines and the bodies, to run optimally at about 55 to 65 mph. Why? In how many states is the speed limit 55? Why don't they design them so that they can run better and more efficiently at higher speeds? Is this another example of the automotive makers ignoring what people want? Lowering the speed limit to 55 isn't the answer. Why should I have to go slower and take longer to get places when 65 and 70 mph are perfectly safe? Do something about all this oil problem. It's time for Americans to stop being told we're going to keep putting Band-Aids on these problems. Let's start doing some long-term solutions.

Potholes repaired

THIS IS a thank you to the Cape Girardeau County Highway Department for repairing the potholes on the LaCroix Road portion of Route W. I'm wondering if the county crew could repair the Boutin Drive portion of Route W too. It would be much appreciated.

More potholes

WHEN IS Cape Girardeau going to fix the potholes on Mount Auburn Road? They are terrible on the outside lane going from Lexington Avenue to William Street.

Fireworks courtesy

I'VE BEEN reading many of the fireworks complaints, and I want to let folks know that such havoc does not occur in every neighborhood. On the eve of July 4, two neighbor boys knocked on my door to tell me they were going to be playing with fireworks and firecrackers. They said they wanted to let me know because they knew I had dogs and I could let them know if they were making too much noise. I know it gets bad in some places, but this is a perfect example that friendly tolerance goes a long way.

Energy efficiency

IF IT'S a good idea -- which it definitely is -- for Missouri to reward residents for buying Energy Star appliances by awarding them a tax break, why on earth not do it all year? Why limit the award to one week? This smacks of election-year gimmickry and greenscamming.