Speak Out 7/29/11

Annexing Fruitland

IF the city of Jackson does end up annexing Fruitland, will they be able to provide fire/EMS service in a timely manner? The most likely answer would be a no. But Jackson city officials will tell you that they will be able to. They may even go as far as saying it would be a better response time then the fire department Fruitland already has. But that would be grounds for a fight. Fruitland Area Fire Protection District is capable of providing exactly the same service as the city of Jackson. The firefighters, EMTs and first responders all go through the same course as the paid firefighters do, except they just happen to be volunteers that have the compassion to give back to their community.

Hold them accountable

STOP your whining to everybody. Attend the Cape County Board for Developmental Disabilities monthly meetings and hold it accountable in doing something constructive.

Starting school

WHY are the children starting school so early again? Wouldn't it be more practical to wait until Labor Day? Didn't we vote sometime back not to start until after Labor Day?

Clean up after dogs

THERE are some in town who do not responsibly clean up after their dogs, as evidenced by unclaimed waste left all over the neighborhood. Please clean up after your pets. It makes all of us look bad. Road maintenance

CAPE Girardeau County commissioners, where are the road graders, mowers and trucks that haul the chat for the roads? Stop spending all the counties road revenue on the mile or two of blacktop. I do not want the road I live on blacktopped. But I do want it maintained, not totally neglected. I do know for a fact that this is a countywide problem.

Sheltered workshop

IN Sunday's paper we saw that Bryan Noack and three others are planning to bring a more diversified sheltered workshop into Cape Girardeau County. This the disabilities board will have to allow under the county statute. Now, my question to Jay Purcell: I am guessing that you will find a conflict in this too?

Have respect

TODAY I had a picnic at the Trail of Tears. It was a wonderful afternoon, but I also realize that my afternoon full of laughter and fun is a painful representation of American prosperity on the grounds of Native American suffering. I am very proud of my country and our history, but I believe that we should treat the Native American population with the utmost respect after what we did to their ancestors.

GOP holding up

REPUBLICANS say the president is holding up the debt plans because of the upcoming election. That is all they have done ever since he got elected. They are the ones that are saying no to everything that the people want so that they might be able to make Obama look bad and they might have a chance in the next election. I have news for them. They are wrong. The people are seeing all the lies they have been putting out. They want the rich millionaires and billionaires to go back to paying their fair share.

Fat cat bets

I think a lot of fat cats, including members of Congress, are using those still unregulated, fancy financial instruments to make multimillion-dollar bets that the U.S. government defaults.

Morley Swingle

MORLEY Swingle does not answer to the moralizing Southeast Missourian, much less Speak Out.

Waller search

I have a suggestion for whoever organized that Waller search where they met out there at Rhodes in Fruitland. Next time, pick out a place for people to meet like a church parking lot or something away from a business where there's confusion and congregation at a business. There were more people up there and it just caused a problem for the public going in and out, trying to use that business. Also, I had some trouble with an uncle back in 2003, and I called 911 and a couple deputies came out and tried to help me. You know who that one deputy was that tried to help was? Clay Waller. Just remember the man did try to help a lot of people, and don't be so quick to condemn him.

Waller interview

I saw the recent interview with Jacque Waller's soon-to-be ex-husband and the defense attorney, Scott Reynolds. My question is if they have an alibi for Mr. Waller, then why do the police still consider him a person of interest in the case. If the alibi is so great or if they have proof that he had nothing to do with it, then why has he not been ruled out? I found the interview kind of strange.

Eliminating loopholes

ELIMINATING tax loopholes for the wealthy would turn out to be a scam. Congress is controlled more than ever now by rich people. Not long after the loopholes were supposedly eliminated, Congress would start putting them back in again.

Political decision

THE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is being blamed for blowing up the Bird's Point levee. This may have been more of a political decision. Illinois is a blue state and Obama is from Illinois.

Rubio interview

SEN. Mark Rubio of Florida told Bob Schieffer on "Meet the Press" recently that it was easier for companies to do business in China than in the U.S. because of the regulatory climate. Wow, what an understatement. I guess he hasn't kept up with the pollution problems such as belching smokestacks, smog, unclean water, dangerous insecticide and pesticide chemicals, just to name a few. Does he really want us to go back to that?

Bragging vandals

I'LL bet the vandals that vandalized the turf at the new high school stadium will be exceedingly sorry because the fun of vandalizing is the bragging about it.

Jackson needs something

WE'RE wondering why they don't have something in Jackson. They could have a water park like they have at the Osage Centre and that would help us. We wouldn't all have to go to Cape Girardeau, we could stay right here in Jackson and do that. They need to get something special out at the park to help Jackson out.

Perfect patch

THIS is in response to the "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill in the House of Representatives. The only thing missing there would be "reduce" -- reduce the deficit by raising taxes, and that would be a perfect patch.