Speak Out 7/25/11

GOP wrong

JUST one in five voters said they want the debt deal to include spending cuts only -- the path outlined by House and Senate Republicans who say they will refuse any plan that raises taxes. More surprisingly, just 26 percent of Republican voters said they wouldn't support a deal if it included tax increases. Just shows you how far wrong the Republican party is and has been for the past 10 years or more.

Waller comments

I find comments suggesting Jacque Waller's family using her disappearance as a scheme for money highly disturbing. First of all, her friends and co-workers are putting these things together to help the family. In this tragedy, her family has added three children to their daily routine and budget. If helping to put food on their plates or clothes on their back is a scheme, then our community is far worse off than ever. Think about if this was your family member, would you have the guts to step up and do what her family is doing for those children and stay strong when you have innocent faces looking up at you asking for their mommy?

Liquor licenses

WHY won't the city council limit the number of liquor licenses in Cape Girardeau? We need to curtail in some way the availability of alcohol to our minors. One can drive and find alcohol within five minutes anywhere in Cape Girardeau. Now is the perfect time to find a happy medium for everyone.

Standing for what?

CCBDD, Cape County Board for Developmental Disabilities. Well, that's what stood for for the past year. But with so many new changes now, with the new board members, I wonder what they will stand for. Only time will tell. But we'll be watching, we'll be waiting. Yes, we'll be attending the meetings and watching closely.

Wasting money

WHEN Michelle Obama takes her family to Africa on a vacation, all of the expenses are paid by the taxpayer. When a child or a spouse goes with family members on a business trip, their expenses are paid by that person, they're not paid by the business. You just get to have free hotel. The rest of it is paid out of pocket by the person that is taking you along. That's a big difference. You're also not paying for the whole airplane, and we the taxpayers are paying for the airplane for Michelle Obama, her family, all the news people, all the Secret Service people. They're wasting a lot of money.

Thank you

I would like to thank the city of Cape Girardeau and the Parks and Recreation board for an absolutely marvelous day at the Osage Centre and Cape Splash for the children and me. It was reasonably priced, very enjoyable and I hope you continue it again for the benefit of all because it's something not to be missed. Thank you very much, Cape Girardeau.

Tea party's fault

I believe all this trouble in Washington is caused in part by the tea party. I was one. I will have no part in throwing my elders under the bus to save myself a few bucks in taxes. They cannot fight back and without them most hard-nosed politicians wouldn't be where they are.

Swingle resignation

I appreciate someone from the Southeast Missourian finally addressing the situation with Morley Swingle. Bob Miller states he owes his constituents an apology. He'll never get past these mistakes in judgment if he never acknowledges it. He owes us more than that. He owes his resignation from office, effective immediately.

Social Security cuts

WHY are the elderly getting so upset about cuts to Social Security? I read about people complaining that they won't get their cost-of-living increase. If they have to wait a couple more years they won't be able to afford retirement. Social Security was never meant to fully pay all your retirement. Most people should have had a retirement plan of their own, either a 401K or a retirement plan at work.

Little rich kids

THOSE fancy-dressed freshman politicians don't have a clue what their parents and grandparents sacrificed to get them where they are. They need to study history before they are allowed to vote on anything. Taxes, taxes, we all pay them, why can't they? I don't think they understand what it is like giving up anything. I hope voters will learn from voting for these well-polished little rich kids.

Fix the problem

THE tea party people want to pass a Constitutional amendment requiring Congress to pass a balanced budget every year. That's a good idea, but a couple of years ago in 2010 when the Democrats held both sides of the Congress and the presidency, they never even passed a budget and it's required in the Constitution. So if Congress isn't going to do what the Constitution requires, why do you have to put a new requirement in the Constitution? They'll still ignore it. We've got to fix this problem.

Teacher attendance

THE assistant district attorney, Frank Miller, is right. You can't teach children who aren't in the classroom. What about the teachers who have habitually missed school? You could build a couple new homes with what taxpayers have put for teachers' substitutes. Then there are the teachers who don't teach. They're either emailing or eating during classroom time or just don't care. My child does well because there have been some good teachers, and I have pulled my child out of classrooms with teachers who just don't care.