Speak Out 7/17/07

Pool realities

I BELIEVE Mike Keefe of the Cape Girardeau parks advisory board is dreaming. I hope he and the city council will open their eyes and see what Cape really needs. Have you noticed Central Municipal Pool's parking lot? And the parking at Shawnee Sports Complex is deplorable. Capaha Pool is fine. This is not St. Louis. We need to take care of what we have.

Bring them home

CONGRESS REPRESENTS us. We want our men and women home. We need them here to protect us. Is this last al-Qaida scare a scare tactic from the commander? Hear us, Mr. President.

Obey the subpoenas

THE POOR mattress guy had to go to jail, but Congress can send out subpoenas and the president can decide who should or should not obey the subpoenas. That takes away from the whole purpose of the subpoena. The subpoena is meant to get people into court who may not want go. I don't believe the president has the right to say yes or no to that. I think even if the president were subpoenaed, he should have to go.

City fees

GUESS WHAT? Fees have also gone up at Osage Community Centre. In order to use the courts and the gym, it now is $2. I think this is getting just a little out of hand with the city raising prices wherever it wants to. When we set up for garage sales at the Osage center, we pay a $11.80 fee. I understand they have 73 booths. That comes to $861 for four hours. People cannot pay these fees with the way the economy is.

Memorial for veterans

I'M CALLING in regard to the proposed World War I memorial. I am a relative of several veterans of different wars, and I am thinking of the veterans in this. It's wonderful that they want to honor them. Wouldn't it be nice if they would place it at the Missouri Veterans Home or close to the veterans home where the veterans can see it rather than trying to stick it in the middle of Cape Girardeau where there's no way possible that the residents at the veterans home will be able to see it? It would be a beautiful thing to put it in that area out there where the men and women who have served could see it.

Blame it on wages

THIS IS in response to the person who called about higher fees at Capaha Pool. The city had no choice but to raise prices since the voters in Missouri elected to increase the minimum wage. The extra money for salaries has to come from somewhere. A basic knowledge of economics equips a person to understand that an increase in minimum wage will follow by an increase in prices, which we have already seen in restaurants, stores and service industries.

Speed limits and fuel

GOOD FOR Kentucky. It's finally increasing the speed limit. For those who are concerned about conserving fuel, feel free to drive slower.

Passing dust

THE WORST thing about Old Orchard Road is people don't deserve to get dust on their cars from that gravel road. If you're traveling down the highway, you don't deserve a dust bath because you pass Old Orchard Road.

Chinese products

BACK WHEN the prescription drug bill was being debated in Congress, we were being told that importation of drugs from Canada would be unsafe. This, of course, was untrue, and we were influenced by the drug industry. Now I would like to ask these same legislators why they aren't outraged about all the unsafe products coming from China.