Speak Out 8/12/09

It's a plot

CYNICAL, increasingly curmudgeonly columnist Joe Sullivan recently complained about the necessity of mastering road construction-caused mazes in Cape Girardeau, all at a time when school is getting ready to start. He also took a shot at the city for not participating in the sales-tax holiday while accepting a $2,000-per-passenger federal subsidy for everyone who shows up at the airport. Putting all of this together, since virtually no one goes to the airport except to eat, I think the unnavigable city streets are designed to make natives throw in the towel, walk to the airport and fly to the coast of France, never to return. Though Cape's population will eventually drop to zero as a result, it will make the current city government's acceptance of the federal subsidy for the airport seem justifiable, though there will admittedly be no one here to appreciate their genius.

Missing protests

I wonder where the war protesters have gone. It seems that since late January of this year they've all disappeared. Where is the outcry for benchmarks? Where are the angry signs demanding immediate withdrawal? I guess it's OK for our troops to remain overseas as long as a Democrat resides in the White House.

On-the-job lunch

REGARDING the comment about the road worker on Highway 51 between Perryville and Highway 72: I was the person in the convertible. I was there to drop off his lunch. I was there a total of about 15 minutes. These workers do not get a lunch break. They work through their lunch to keep traffic moving the best they can. He was not away from his radio. It's connected to the sign, which is where he stood to eat his lunch.

Government waste

THERE is something wrong with crushing perfectly good used cars. Many lower-income people buy these cars because it's all they can afford. The government is paying $4,500 for a car that may only be worth $1,000. This is another example of wasteful and inefficient government spending.

Private option

THE best argument in favor of a government health insurance option is to compare it to the public-private educational system. Everybody has a right to an education, and everybody has a right to health care. The government plan could supply minimal coverage, and any person could choose the more expensive private insurance either as a supplement to or in place of the government plan.