Speak Out 7/21/06

Children in church

TO THOSE who don't want children in worship services: The disciples also tried to keep children from Jesus. Not every child is ready to attend children's church without a parent. Please read 1 Corinthians 6:1 and follow accordingly.

Hiring retirees

JACKSON SCHOOL District's abuse of the retired-educator hiring rules and the state retirement board's inability to do anything about it is what is wrong with education today. Jackson officials can twist the truth about their hiring practices, and everyone yawns. If people don't think the lack of integrity at the top is passed down to the students, you are naive. The Jackson district probably has more applications than any school district in the state, yet it is hiring retired personnel when there are qualified applicants.

Laughable offer

I AM surprised that more people are not upset over the bribe the Cape Girardeau County Commission offered the Jackson Board of Aldermen for its support of the Proposition 1 sales-tax proposal. Of course, the amount of the bribe is laughable, considering the size and scope of Jackson. I suppose people have grown so accustomed to these types of practices in our elections and political offices that we don't care anymore. Or perhaps it was veiled in a way that people don't know it's wrong.

Confusing fee issue

I VOTED against allowing the Cape Girardeau City Council to raise city fees whenever it felt like it. The city council and mayor used confusing wording when they placed the issue on the ballot. They knew that many Cape residents were gullible enough to vote for it and that even more would not understand it. People of Cape, please stop voting for increased taxes and fees. Government officials need to do a better job of managing budgets.

Emerson's vote

YOU WONDER what U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson has done about employment of illegal aliens? Check betterimmigration.com and you will see that she voted to fund the electronic employment verification program and to make it mandatory.

No county zoning

I AM voting no on the county sales-tax plan for a simple reason. The county has no planning or zoning, nor does it express a desire for any. More new paved roads will lead to more unplanned development in which productive family farms are replaced by poorly planned subdivisions and mobile-home courts. This proposal is for the developers, not the family farmers and other rural residents. When the county gets serious about doing real planning and real zoning, perhaps we could all talk about improvements to roads in rural areas. Not only does the county commission want to have its cake and eat it too, it expects those of us who live in the cities and will get no benefit to pay for it.

Where's the plan?

THERE IS an amazing amount of Bush and Republican bashing going on. I am glad I live in a country where we have this freedom. But what I would like to see is the Democratic plan for improving our country. To say the Republicans are doing it wrong without putting forth a plan to improve is ridiculous. If you are to convince me Democrats would do a better job of running our country, you need to tell me how they plan to do it. Anyone can say they could do it better, but without benefit of a plan it is just empty words. I will be waiting to hear the Democratic plan.

Paying deputies

I FEEL sick to my stomach to see how many negative comments are being made about the county's sales-tax plan. I hear comments like "I think the numbers John Jordan is giving are padded" and "The sheriff's office is not that bad off staff-wise." When I read these comments, all I can do is shake my head. Do you understand that currently the same people you trust to carry a gun and make decisions about life and death in this county are making about as much per year as a manager at a fast-food place? Do you want someone who is making $23,000 or $24,000 a year protecting you from the filth that resides in this county? These men and women protect our freedoms. Please stop squabbling after a half-cent sales-tax increase that the majority of us will never feel. Stand up and do what is right. Give these people the salary they deserve.

Grabbing money

I AM uncomfortable with the idea of taking funding away from the Cape Girardeau Special Road District, an agency that has done a remarkable job with the money received, and placing those funds in the general-revenue pot at the mercy of power-hungry county commissioners. I believe the proposed county sales-tax increase will guarantee a drop in the quality of existing roads while the bulk of funding will go to curry favor with big developers. I'm well aware of the need for more sheriff's deputies and would support a small tax increase to provide them, but I will not support this transparent power grab away from an agency that is already doing a great job.

Smell pollution

THE PERSON who thinks its "ridiculous" to compare smoking to perfume obviously isn't aware of the debilitating effect perfume can have to someone with allergies. I can be anywhere, and all it takes is one person wearing cologne or perfume to walk by and I get an instant migraine that can put me out of commission for a day or more. At least with smoking you can see it and avoid it.

Voting values

THANK YOU, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and other Missouri representatives who voted for the marriage amendment, even though it failed. Thankfully, our area is represented by someone with hometown values.

Stepchild counties

IN RESPONSE to the story "Mobile unit to provide 'health on wheels' to four counties": After reading this story, I am sure more than ever that Bollinger and Perry counties are the stepchildren of the area. For a short period about 10 years ago, one of the local hospitals had a rolling clinic that serviced Bollinger and Perry counties as outreach. The service was discontinued apparently due to cost. It worked so well for the elderly who couldn't or shouldn't drive and for the mothers with small children who didn't have three hours to wait in a crowded physician's office or the transportation to get there. Now, the Bootheel counties have what we also need. Are the politicians always going to look so far away from as if we don't exist?

No deduction

HERE IS one more tidbit for county residents concerning the sales-tax vote in August: Your personal and real-estate property taxes are deductible if you itemize. What you pay in sales taxes is not. If you itemize deductions and this passes, you will be reducing your deductions.

Animosity-free

RIGHT OR not, painted on the new wall or not, Cape Girardeau will always be known as Rush Limbaugh's hometown. If you get tourism because of someone, the least you can do is acknowledge him without animosity. TJ Greaney's shows through.

A little dirt

TJ GREANEY'S column on the "Missouri Wall of Fame" was biased. He doesn't want Rush Limbaugh on the mural because Rush may be an embarrassment to the city. We could probably find a little dirt on a lot of people on that wall, like Redd Foxx and Jesse James. Harry Truman, prior to his presidency, was in the pocket of the corrupt Pendergast organization in Kansas City. So should we eliminate them too? Rush needs to stay.

Drawing a line

IF SOMEONE tells me that a cross on my private property in the city limits is a violation of the sign ordinance, I will pursue my right to freedom of religion. Anyone who has a problem with crosses on private property is going to start a losing fight.

Add Sheryl Crow

I THOUGHT the "Wall of Fame" mural was for famous people from Missouri. Rush Limbaugh is from Missouri. He is from Cape Girardeau. Just because he's not dead yet doesn't mean he has to be left off the Wall of Fame. Maybe we could also add Sheryl Crow. She's from Missouri.

Outsider's view

TJ GREANEY'S call for the removal of Rush Limbaugh from the "Missouri Wall of Fame" was the most courageous public expression in the history of the Southeast Missourian, bar none. It is sad that it took a non-native of Cape Girardeau to publicly express what has surely been on the minds of Cape natives for a long time.

Gutsy column

KUDOS TO TJ Greaney's gutsy column calling for Rush Limbaugh's removal from the "Missouri Wall of Fame."

Not proud

HATS OFF to TJ Greaney for his column "Time for a Change on the 'Wall of Fame.'" Those are my sentiments exactly. I certainly do not find any reason to be proud to be from the same town as Rush Limbaugh.

Widen Mount Auburn

CAPE GIRARDEAU has started widening the intersection of Bloomfield and Mount Auburn roads. This is a good sign because the current width of the four-lane portions of Mount Auburn is way too narrow. I hope the city can avoid embarrassment by sufficiently widening Mount Auburn between Bloomfield Road and William Street for four-lane traffic. One look at Kingshighway will set a template for what Mount Auburn Road should look like along its entire length.