Speak Out 8/15/08

We need a casino

REGARDING A casino for Cape Girardeau: I hope we can get one in Cape Girardeau. It would help the downtown. Maybe a casino would give us a chance to get more improvements downtown.

Throwing away money

WE DON'T need a casino. It's sad to feel good about making money from the losses of other people. The people most interested in the gambling casino coming to Cape Girardeau are the ones complaining about low salaries, high taxes, the price of gasoline and not being able to afford necessary goods and services such as health care, food and clothing. Amazingly these same people are willing to go to a casino and throw money away in the hopes of being one of the few who actually win a big jackpot. They throw money away weekly on the lottery for the same reason. You're more likely to get struck by lightning or bitten by a snake than winning a lot of money.

Four-way stop

HOW LONG is Jackson going to keep this ridiculous four-way stop? It holds people up in every direction. No one seems to know how to proceed through the intersection in a lawful fashion. It is a new millennium. It is no longer the 1950s, Jackson. Come on.

Coroner's pay

I AM a faithful reader of the Southeast Missourian and try to watch the local TV news at least twice daily. I am amused by all the hype about our county officials. There has been much discussion on pay, hours worked and the efficiency of the county offices. No one ever talks about the coroner, who works well over the 30 or so hours per week that many of the other elected officials are supposed to work. The coroner is always at the scene of a tragic death. His pay is less than half the other elected officials. Maybe some of the overpaid officials need to share their wealth with the coroner. I bet there is not one elected county official who would be willing to do the coroner's job at twice the pay. Those other officials need to appreciate the jobs they have and work a little harder to earn their pay.

Spreading blame

WHAT DOES a child's family income have to do with how well a child does on the MAP test? Again the teachers have turned the test around to make their failure the fault of these children. I would ask that teachers do their jobs.

Thanks for cell phone

I WOULD like to thank the lady who found my son's cell phone in the grass at Andy's and turned it in. We appreciate your kindness. Sorry, but we did not catch your name or we would have sent you a personal thank you.

Not fair and balanced

FOX NEWS flacks have once again been shut out as moderators of the upcoming presidential debates. This reinforces the growing belief that the "news" network that claims to be fair and balanced is just the opposite.