Speak Out 7/9/07

Hybrid horsepower

Who knew that a Toyota Prius hybrid car would go 100 miles per hour on a California freeway? Toyota should be proud of the free publicity given by a politician's son.

Whither "Sicko?"

Because it hasn't come to Cape, I'm getting sicker and sicker. Where is "Sicko?"

Porous borders

So, the immigration reform bill was defeated. Yahoo! Now what? Simple. Business as usual. The borders will remain porous and agribusiness will continue to profit from cheap labor provided by illegal aliens. Why are we celebrating?

Children as weapons

WHEN IS someone going to stand up for the fathers who pay their child support and have to fight just to see their child once in awhile? When are these women going to stop using their children as weapons because a relationship didn't work? I think you need to look at the long-term damaging effects you are causing your children and work together as parents instead of playing war games.

Improving greens

The fact that some golf course greens are in bad shape, even though the rates for playing have been raised, may indicate that the rates haven't been raised as high as they should have.

Above average

We shouldn't carp and complain because all of our students are above average. Like Garrison Keillor's community of Lake Woebegon, we're very lucky.

Counting the ways

You want to know why people hate Paris Hilton? She's spoiled, ignorant of the real world, thinks because daddy has billions that she's better than everyone else and apparently thinks that just because she's famous and rich she can get away with anything she wants. And how did she become a celebrity? Basically by partying irresponsibly and sleeping around. Anyone who actually likes her obviously has mental problems.

Fair share

WARREN BUFFETT, the third-richest man in the world, believes as I do that the rich should pay their fair share. He said he pays 17 percent of his income in taxes while a person making $50,000 a year pays 34 percent. We have a system of government that supports those who do not have an income. Does it seem equatable that 17 percent of Buffett's' $52 billion supports the "have notes" while the person who earns $50,000 contributes 34 percent of his income to this cause?

Fairness to Bush

I'm not a Bush supporter (I voted for Clinton both times), but in all fairness I have to say that the pardon of Libby is not the big deal people are making it to be. Go to a reputable site and review the list of those pardoned by Clinton in his last hours as president. In all fairness, the outrage by Democrats on the Libby pardon is extremely hypocritical.

Extra horses

I read where the judge in Rockford, Ill. shut down the plant that slaughters horses. I would like to know what we are going to do with the 90,000 extra horses a year that were being slaughtered there and in Texas. I hope Gov. Rod Blagojevich chokes on his next bite of beef for signing the law. Cattle, pork, sheep, and goat producers are next on the list.

Missing something

Some of you like to say the Constitution has been shredded by the Bush Administration. Could you be more specific and list which articles have been violated? I've been checking my pocket Constitution, and, well, maybe I just missed something.

Lawlessness

CAPE GIRARDEAU has to be the most lawless town in the country. The city fathers make all these good laws, but they're not enforced. Remember the boom-box law? Never was enforced. Speed limits? Try living on the hill on North West End Boulevard. The 10 p.m. cutoff for fireworks? They didn't stop until midnight or 1 a.m. And why on earth is this allowed to go on for a full week? We couldn't even hear our TV for the noise, and forget about sleeping until it stops.

Crime or memory lapse?

Justice for Scooter Libby? Scooter Libby was convicted of giving false testimony in a "criminal" investigation in which no crime was found to have been committed. His lie: "I'm sorry, I can't recall ..." Was it a lie? No one really knows except Scooter, but this makes him public enemy No. 1. He is a real threat to every one of us. He should probably register, like a sex offender, so we all know where he lives just in case he has another memory lapse and can't remember the specific details of something exactly the way someone else does five years from now.

Cut the grass

I'M JUST driving by the intersection that the city spent thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to landscape at Route K and Interstate 55 southbound. The Johnson grass is taking over all your shrubbery, all of your new grass, everything that you spent thousands and thousands and thousands of taxpayers' money and individual's money to fix.

Poor example

THIS MESSAGE is for the man in the Dodge pick-up who stopped on Cape LaCroix Creek last Monday. Our preschool children watched as you dropped your trash into the creek by our school. We had just finished a study unit of keeping our oceans, lakes and rivers clean and litter-free. Nothing would satisfy them until one of our teachers fished your garbage out of the creek and placed it in our Dumpster. Please think before you do this again. This earth is their future.

Replace tags

THE WIND blowing through the flags at the county park on the Fourth was beautiful. I found my dad's flag but I couldn't find my friend's flag because so many nametags were missing. I hope someone will replace the tags.

Free passes

WHEN THE Cape fire department and police department are sponsors for the Cape air festival, does this mean the employees pool their own money and pay for it or do they use the taxpayers' money? If it is the taxpayers' money, I would like free passes like most sponsors receive for next year's show.

CR 630

To the person who tied colorful and patriotic balloons onto the signpost at County Road 630: Please remember to cut down your trash. The deflated balloons have been hanging there for a week now and are most unattractive.

Nature films

Calling one of Michael Moore's movies a "documentary" is kind of like calling the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner cartoons "nature films."