Speak Out 8/1/13

Garage sale theft

My daughter had a garage sale this past Friday and had on display and for sale a product line she sells to supplement her income. Someone stole two tubes of pain reliever that were not cheap products. I don't see how that person can sleep at night with a clear conscience. Someday they will be judged and held accountable for their actions.

Thanks to Kasten

A big thank you to Mary Kasten for telling the Cape school board to be wary of Common Core. I am a teacher of 20-plus years and feel that Mary Kasten, with her years of political experience, is 100 percent correct. The Common Core is nationalizing education and "spreading the educational wealth." In the past, Missouri schools have always been ranked in the top one-fourth of the 50 states. With Common Core, Missouri schools will now be watering down their curriculum to be at the halfway mark. Is that what Missourians want?

Medicaid expansion

In approving Medicaid expansion for her state (our federal government will pay for 100 percent of it) conservative Republican governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, said it is pro-health, pro-life and will increase job opportunities. The spineless state lawmakers representing Missourians lacked the backbone and, thus, failed to muster the courage to do the right thing for their constituents.

Expansion

Oh my goodness. SEMO's expansionist, aggressive, imperialist appetite seems incapable of being satiated.

Education funding

The failure of the Missouri General Assembly to fulfill its No. 1 constitutionally mandated obligation to properly finance public education is a derogation of duty on a catastrophic scale.

Obamacare funding

Shame on you. I think it is cruel and unusual punishment for you guys to give false hope to a significant segment of your readership by publishing reprints by the likes of Governor's Jindal and Walker to the effect that Obamacare will be defunded.

SNAP comment

You've heard about the "low information" voters, right? Well, Speak Out often distinguishes itself with comments from what might be called "no information" voters. For example, a recent comment made apparent that the caller had no clue that there has been a work requirement for the able bodied for receiving food stamps since 1996 when the system was overhauled. I wish callers like this would get with the program and quit stereotyping the majority of low-income workers who receive SNAP, most of whom are white.

Term limits

Regarding the July 29 editorial cartoon "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, we need term limits!" Missouri has had term limits since 1992 when, after 171 years, 75 percent of voters elected to amend the constitution. What we have now is legislators overly focused on accumulating the largest campaign chests they can and then finding jobs as corporate lobbyists. Do you like the shape Missouri is in? I don't think national term limits would be any different. Congress is more and more becoming a tool for corporate America. But since corporations are now people and money is speech, about all we can do is say "Bye-bye Miss American Pie." So long middle class.

Priorities?

While the country is facing several serious problems like the IRS misusing its power, lack of border control, Obamacare bankrupting the middle class, just to name a few of the problem areas due to an apparent "clueless" president, I see the following headline: "The U.S. Department of Education plans to investigate a controversial 'Redneck Day' celebration two months ago at an Arizona high school." The day was supposed to be a day where kids wore clothing inspired by the program "Duck Dynasty." There seems to be a controversy regarding the use of the confederate flag. Obviously common sense has vacated our federal government when it sees fit to use its time "investigating" this. If there was something tasteless done, let the school handle it. If you think this is trivial, this is the same Big Brother Obama government that wants the IRS policing your health care.