Speak Out 7/5/06

Truth is belief

I APPRECIATED the sunny optimism of the "Life is Good" comment, however skewed its facts were. I'm sure the caller meant 2.5 million barrels of oil, not billion. Even still, from a quick Internet search at USA Today, Iraq's historical peak oil production was only 3.6 million (not billion) barrels a day in 1990. In spring of 2003 (pre-war), it was 2.6 million. So far in 2006 the average has been 1.6 million. Of course, USA Today is part of the evil mainstream media, so what does it know? In the minds of Republicans, truth is in belief, not reality.

Guard contract

WHAT DOES it matter what National Guard personnel think? They are soldiers. They signed the papers and took the oath with full awareness of the fact they may be called to active duty. However, I agree that National Guard personnel should not be made to go into a war zone if they do not want to -- as soon as they repay all the money they have received, because they are breaking the contract.

Encouraging story

THE VISION House stories were not a waste of paper. It was an encouraging story for those who have or are currently suffering from drug addiction. Though it may seem a child's unconditional love would keep anyone on the right track, we do not live in a fairy tale. These are real people with real problems in a real world.

Let them know

IT'S SAD how few citizens of all ages have never called their U.S. representative's office. We send our representatives into a city filled with lobbyists, with bags full of money, armed with nothing but our silence. That's akin to sending them into a pool of sharks armed only with a fly swatter. Citizenship is not a spectator sport.

Free-speech sale

CAPE GIRARDEAU residents, please note that political signs are OK to put out because they are constitutionally protected free speech. Therefore, you should put a political comment on your yard sale sign. Then the city council can't touch it.

Bigger problem

THE CITY council members must need glasses. The signs in the city are not the biggest thing trashing up the town. The main problem is people throwing trash out their car windows. If you read the police report you will see that the littering ordinance is not being enforced. I pick up trash from in front of my home almost every morning.

Sloppy service

I WANT to comment on the fast food establishments here in Cape Girardeau. I don't know if anyone else deals with this particular issue or not, but I am tired of finding my order completely screwed up once I return home. How difficult is it to remember to put on ketchup when it is asked for? Or even worse to make sure a food item is made with chicken instead of beef when the receipt says chicken. I worked in fast food all through high school and part of college. We would not be able to mess up orders like our restaurants do time and time again. I would not be so angry if this didn't happen at every fast food establishment I have been to in the past two years. Do we live in a society where we just have to put up with inaccurate orders because the people employed are underpaid and just don't care? We need to raise the standards of our local establishments.

Sign about signs

MAY I legally put a sign in my yard encouraging citizens to obey Cape Girardeau's sign ordinance?

Political sales pitch

HOW TO get around the new sign ordinance? Have a "Get Out the Vote" Yard Sale. All you have to do is have your candidate give you a stack of his literature to hand out. Make sure each sign says "Paid for by the candidate" (or whoever paid for it) and post the signs where they will be seen. When people come to your yard sale, hand out the candidate's literature.

Take the offensive

THE NEW sign ordinance will be thrown out if enough people sign recall petitions against those who voted for it.

Home businesses

I AM certainly glad the city council got rid of all the yard sale signs in town. Those signs made our city look trashy. The next thing I think the council needs to look at is all of these people selling items on e-Bay out of their homes. We have residential zoning laws, and people are running businesses out of their homes. That's not right. I have to pay for a business license and pay for a storefront. They should, too. These so-called entrepreneurs are costing our city thousands of dollars in lost tax revenue, not to mention traffic congestion with UPS trucks coming in and out of neighborhoods for pickups. We need an ordinance about these at-home e-Bay businesses.

Paving tune

I DON'T know why, but every time I think about when the Cape Girardeau County roads will get paved, the words to a song pop into my head: In the year 2525, if man is still alive ... .

Blocking the view

I CAN understand having businesses remove their signs if they are obstructing the view of traffic, but the city also needs to realize there are several places where bushes and shrubs block your view. And another thing that should have been taken care of years ago is Route K not being marked with reflectors as you come from Wal-Mart back toward Kingshighway. You cannot see in a rainstorm where the lane dividers are. How about using your time and energy and our money to correct that problem? And the cops could be patrolling the parking lots looking for people who clutter up the handicap parking spaces with shopping carts if they have time to look for garage-sale signs.

Don't believe it

REGARDING THE recent news on cigarette smoke: I am sure many people will believe it. How many people are living healthy lives who at one time lived with cigarette smoke for many years, such as the baby boomers? Remember when almost everyone smoked and had children or grandchildren living with them? The most ridiculous part of this study is the fact that it's harmful to walk through an area where someone is smoking. People believe what they want to believe. I do not believe that secondhand smoke is dangerous to your health.