Speak Out 7/18/06

Utility rates

WHAT A piece of work AmerenUE is. I live in Chaffee. My power goes off every time it thunders. It was off three times today. Now AmerenUE wants to raise its rates. It is going to try to get customers to pay for the Taum Salk screwup. If the people of Southeast Missouri are stupid enough to fall for this, they deserve what they get.

Smoking, perfume

I AGREE with the caller about some people wearing too much perfume. However, to compare perfume to smoking is ridiculous. Perfume does not cloud a room, and I cannot smell too much after-shave two tables away. My daughter has severe asthma that can be triggered by smoking, but not perfume. Going out to dinner should not be a life-or-death decision, which is why there are no-smoking sections. My father has emphysema and throat cancer, and I had to watch my grandfather pass a way from lung cancer.

Community input

THANK YOU for your editorial tribute to Speak Out. Though the establishment would never admit it, Speak Out commentary taken as a whole has been more responsible for institutional decisions than all of the hearings, open meetings and other opportunities for community input combined.

Nukes and stem cells

DO YOU believe history repeats itself? Let us compare two subjects. 1. Nuclear warfare. In the 1940s we thought nuclear power was a good thing, It would end all wars. Now we are fighting to control nuclear warfare and going to bed wondering when the bad guys will send one our way. 2. Stem-cell research. They say it will be good and help cure many things. Ten years from now we might be ordering cloned babies off the computer or having to kill our food supply because there was a spill from a stem-cell research center. I don't buy into the statement that stem-cell research is safe. What happens when this technology is used to populate more men or women in a certain area or a certain race?

Cheap entertainment

TO THE reader who refused to pay $2.75 to swim at Capaha Pool. Where else can you go all day and be entertained at the low cost of $2.75? That is the cheapest entertainment I know of.

Funny money

WHAT HAS happened to the banks? I went to a bank to get change for a $100 bill and was told I couldn't change it there if I didn't have an account. The federal government issued the money, and the banks won't take it. I don't understand. American values must be shot.

Street lights

RECENTLY I called the street department to ask for some lighting on Randol Street in the new Melrose Subdivision. I was told that I could not have any lights on that street. But the next day there were three new street lights on Cheetah. What's the deal?

Endorsement money

THE COUNTY commission is offering the Jackson Board of Aldermen $25,000 if it will endorse the proposed county sales-tax increase. What is the commission offering the Cape Girardeau City Council for it's endorsement?

Beautiful yard

IF YOU want to see a beautiful yard, drive by the Ken Grigsby residence on the corner of Cambridge and Valley Forge Lane. Ken works on the yard continuously for his and the neighborhood's enjoyment.

Tell them no

I SEE the Cape Girardeau County Commission is offering the Jackson Board of Aldermen a bribe to support a tax increase. How low will the county commissioners go to implement this tax increase? Residents of Cape Girardeau County, stand up to these county commissioners. Tell them no. Tell them to live within their budget and not ask for a tax increase.

Country music

REGARDING THE comment about country music coming to Cape Girardeau from Branson: I have known the Plummer family for years. They retired from Branson. The Driskills, Dale and Melody (formerly Melody Plummer), played at the Jackson Legion Hall July 15. Melody can really play that violin.

Fuel from sugar

I FOUND an article saying that Japan is going to start producing ethanol from sugar cane and 40 percent of Japanese cars will be running on ethanol within five years. Why can't this country do something of that magnitude? We're putting up corn ethanol plants and not moving ahead on the real stuff that would solve the problem. Cellulosic ethanol is the only answer. Using corn ethanol is stupid.

Turning liberal

OUR COUNTY commissioners and our sheriff are starting to think like liberal Democrats as opposed to the conservative Republicans we thought we elected. They want to tax us more and spend more. What happened to the conservative values of our community?

Can't be trusted

THE COUNTY commissioners can't be trusted. Look what they're trying to do with our money now. They're offering the Jackson Board of Aldermen an additional $25,000 if they'll support the proposed sales-tax increase. These guys have no ethics at all. They will spend our money and waste it. Vote no.

Childhood training

NOW'S THE perfect time to begin training a child that it is acceptable behavior to scream at the park or playground, but when you go to a restaurant or sit in a church or shop for groceries, it is not acceptable to scream and carry on.

Looting neighbors

HOW DEVASTATING would it be for you to be at work and receive a phone call stating your house is on fire and there's nothing you can do but drop and run? You get to your place, and everything is engulfed in flames. The only thing that escapes is your daughter and your grandbaby. How fortunate that is. But how putrid is it when your neighbors loot your property and add more devastation to your life? God bless my friends. God bless my sister. And God bless the looters, because they're going to have a lot to answer for.

Great map

I LOVE the way the Missourian put in the yard-sale map. It was great. Now I can go shopping and find things. Thank you.

Easier to complain

REGARDING THE article by Rudi Keller about the disabled person who thought her ride would only cost $1 and found out it was $8.50: It seems the article was expressing an "I can't believe the transit authority would let that happen to a disabled person." The transit authority did go back and pick the woman up for the return ride, but only after a call from the Missourian. I guess it is easier to complain than to dig into your own pocket to help pay the actual cost of the ride for this woman.

Voting power

THERE IS a simple solution to those who are angered by the issue concerning signs in yards. Do not vote for the people who created this problem come election time. They feel they can do whatever they want, and only we can deny them that chance. For those of you in city government who created the sign ordinance, you will not receive a vote from me ever again.

High pool fees

I THINK the new pool fees are way too much for Cape Girardeau's pools. I have three kids, which means that every time we visited the pool it would cost almost $10. I would only be able to take them one time, maybe two, at that price. There goes our pool fun this summer.

Thanks, firefighters

WE ALL hear about the city fire departments and all they do for the community, but what about the rural fire departments that are strictly volunteer? I live in Bollinger County, and our fire departments are not paid departments. These men and women are putting their life on the line for the community. These are the heroes that our children should look up to along with our heroes overseas. When you see one of these firefighters, tell him thanks for what he does.

Good service

JOB WELL-DONE to the owner and employees of Cape Girardeau's Regional Airport's restaurant, the Landing Place. Even though they had lines out the door, they managed to accommodate everyone in a timely manner when we were in a hurry, and the food was great, too. Thanks.

Red-tape solution

PERHAPS THE citizens of Cape Girardeau who enjoy having yard sales could practice civil disobedience. Imagine if a particular weekend were designated Yard Sale Weekend and everyone who was having a yard sale was committed to putting up at least 10 signs. If all of those people were issued summonses would request a jury trial, perhaps the city council would reconsider representing the people. The best way to kill a dictatorship? Choke it in red tape.

County riders

NOW THAT taxpayers are paying to haul people around Cape Girardeau, what about the people in Pocahontas, New Wells, Egypt Mills or elsewhere in the county who can't afford to drive? Aren't these people being discriminated against? If taxpayers provide transportation to a few poor people in Cape Girardeau, don't we owe a ride to everyone in the county?

Defending animals

THE POLICE report stated that Cape Girardeau police recently made an arrest on a charge of animal neglect. Thank you to our police for taking action and for defending the animal victims who cannot speak up for themselves.

Work-zone speeders

THIS IS about the construction in Jackson for widening the highway. Why does the highway department put work zone signs up to reduce the speed to 30 mph when no one does the speed limit through there? I am tired of coming home every evening and cars riding the back of my car because I am doing what the sign says: 30 mph. A lot of drivers are not obeying this law. Highway patrolmen and Jackson police could write a lot of tickets through that section of town. Maybe once a few people had to pay double the fine for a work-zone violation they would obey the law.

New versus old

THE SAME scientists who achieved successes with adult stem-cell research are pleading for embryonic research. Adult stem-cell research has been around for 60 years and has given up about all the secrets it's going to. Embryonic research is new and holds great promise. It is a myth that adult stem-cell research can replace embryonic research.

Home-field advantage

CAPE GIRARDEAU School Board member Steve Traut-wein says he doesn't know if Central High School even needs its own football stadium since home games are played at Houck Stadium. It's about building tradition and pride, which is hard to do when you don't even have a home field. Also lost are concessions that the university gets instead of the high school and probably the enthusiastic support of local businesses that could advertise at Central's home stadium. Our teams needs a place that is truly a hostile environment for opposing teams. Then we can honestly say, "Welcome to the Jungle!"

Gushing paean

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT of Agriculture director Fred Ferrell wrote in a letter that "My first priority is to ensure that Missouri agriculture remains on a path to success." However, the rest of the letter was such a syrupy, sycophantic patronizing of Gov. Matt Blunt that I have come to a slightly different conclusion. To me, Ferrell's first priority has to be remaining well-entrenched in his appointed position as publicly proven by his gushing paean to the governor.

Great air show

MY SINCERE congratulations go to all those who made this year's air festival possible. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening shows. A lot of hard work went into the planning, setting up and running of the shows. A big thank you to all of you and, of course, to the pilots for putting on such a good show and for allowing us to view their awesome planes. I am already looking forward to next year's air show.

Tax and spend

MR. TAX and Spend Jay Purcell sure wasted no time in hitting up county taxpayers for more money. I suggest that people look at the road tax portion of their personal property tax bill. I have 2002 and a 2003 vehicles and only paid $27. Mr. Tax and Spend is implying that the average person pays around $100. Who is he thinking about? What a disappointment he has turned out to be. I thought he ran on a platform of being careful with our money. But I guess if you look where he came from, the Cape Girardeau City Council, it's understandable.

Staying green

DESTROYING TREES and green land for commercial development is not inevitable as Tom Kelsey says. If housing and commercial developers would look around, there are plenty of areas in town where old houses could be torn down and new ones built and business areas that are in need of only a facelift. Instead of expanding out in the country, developers need to invigorate the space already available that have parking lots and utilities already there. Let's not be the next St. Louis.

Active-duty thanks

I KEEP reading comments about how the National Guard has fought the majority of this war with no complaint and how the Guard members have always stood up for their country. Did everyone forget about the active-duty military? These guys work 12-hour days sometimes six and seven days a week. They are constantly deployed. My husband is active duty and currently in Afghanistan. The Guard goes, but not without complaining. Many of the Guard members signed up for the benefits, not to go to war. There are many others who signed up knowing what they were getting into. The active-duty military is who really keeps us safe at night. It is not just a job for them. It is a way of life. If you want to thank someone, thank them.