OpinionAugust 13, 2009
Speak Out 8/13/09
Health problem; Career programs; Electric bills; Creating change; Skating rink; Journalist safety; Goldberg approach; Back to school fair
Health problem
SOMEONE asked why, if our health care system is so great, we rank so badly in infant mortality. One may well have absolutely nothing to do with the other. I wonder how many of those infants who die were born to drug-addicted mothers, or to women who did not practice good nutrition or health while pregnant. We have a great health care system, but we also have people who abuse alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Maybe that's part of the problem.
Career programs
GREAT interview with Rich Payne, head of the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. If more students were channeled into those programs, the dropout rate would virtually disappear.
Electric bills
THOSE complaining about their electric bills need to think about the workers who are putting their lives on the line to provide us electricity. Figure the cost per day. If this is still too high, have it disconnected.
Creating change
THERE'S an old sea story in the Navy about a ship's captain who inspected his sailors and told the chief bosun's mate that his men smelled bad. The captain suggested perhaps it would help if the sailors would change underwear occasionally. The chief responded, "Aye, aye, sir. I'll see to it immediately." The chief went straight to the sailors' berth deck and announced, "The captain thinks you guys smell bad and wants you to change your underwear. Pittman, you change with Jones. McCarthy, you change with Witkowski. And Brown, you change with Schultz. Now get to it." This story is a good analogy of the kind of change President Obama is bringing to America. The moral: Someone may be promising you change in Washington, but don't count on your health getting any better with these clowns running your life.
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Skating rink
I think the Galleria ice skating rink should be reopened. It's a shame to see such a beautiful place falling apart. When I was a kid we would go there and ice skate the whole day. It was a blast. This would be a great place to go and have fun during all seasons of the year. It would be a good project for the city.
Journalist safety
WITH things in the world being so volatile, American journalists need to stay in America or foot the bill for their rescue. The North Koreans are not people to play games with.
Goldberg approach
I think I've found Rube Goldberg. He's a fellow who took a simple problem and made complicated ways to solve it. He's in Washington. I can tell the government bureaucrats how to solve the problem of energy and pollution, and you don't have to spend money for clunkers. Let's switch these cars to hydrogen. We could use the Mississippi River by putting turbines in it to turn out electricity to make hydrogen. We could do it ourselves. But these Rube Goldbergs in Washington would like to do everything the hard way and make it look complicated when it's not.
Back to school fair
I would like to thank the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau for hosting the back-to-school fair. I would especially like to thank the SADI for passing out school supplies.
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