Speak Out 8/15/10

Early splash

I think it was great that the city held a seniors day in the morning at Cape Splash. That said, why aren't there regular morning sessions at Cape Splash for everyone? Sure, it's a great escape from the heat for most. But I don't want my children to be in the heat too long, and the early morning temperatures are healthier. Maybe one day a week or more Cape Splash can open earlier. Please consider this for next year.

Board basics

AS a teacher, I have been using a Smart Board for several years, and as a user I am appalled that Cape Girardeau's public schools are replacing white boards with Smart Boards. Even if the Smart Boards are purchased with grant money (guess whose pocket that came out of?), they are much more expensive than white boards. Dry-erase markers cost a few dollars. The cost of the replacement bulb alone for the Smart Board is astronomical. Have you ever heard of a white board breaking or failing to operate? That happens with the Smart Board, and when it does the teacher is left with nothing to write on for the class. Yes, Smart Boards allow a teacher to do some nifty things, but these things aren't necessary, and many teachers who have Smart Boards admit away from their administrators that they use it as a glorified white board. I thought our district was short of funds, but it sounds like our leadership is just short of common sense.

Pollyannish pundits

"[T]HERE'S no doubt that the program [MAP] has forced some school districts to improve instruction." Thus, the Pollyannish pundits on the Southeast Missourian editorial board have rendered their collective opinion, one with which a vast majority might disagree. No Child Left Behind is a failure. MAP is a flop. They will eventually be replaced with new national standards and national tests, also doomed to go by the wayside in the future. Education in America will improve only when society gets serious about it. Right now it's not, and neither is the Southeast Missourian editorial board.

Homeless shelter

FROM observing the homeless shelter in St. Louis I have come to the conclusion that Cape Girardeau would not benefit from a homeless shelter downtown. The homeless shelter in St. Louis was placed in an area that was growing and pleasant. Now home values are declining, and the neighborhood is looking worse and worse. The shelter in Cape Girardeau would hurt the historic downtown that Cape Girardeau is trying to revive. The shelter would close during the day, so many of the homeless would be wandering the streets and camping out on the grass of the building. This would definitely deter shoppers and interrupt the lives of people who live downtown. The homeless would not be shopping or helping the local businesses that are trying to make a profit and benefit the local economy. If the shelter were put in, many of the local businesses would suffer and be forced to move or close, because citizens and visitors do not want to shop in that sort of environment. If Cape Girardeau is to put a homeless shelter in place, it should be built away from the area that Cape Girardeau is trying to revive.

Taxing billionaires

BILLIONAIRES are forming a club to give millions to charities. They say it's not for the tax breaks, but they will take them. It would be so much better if they were paying the taxes that they paid before the Bush tax cuts. That would help our country a lot more. That is the only thing that will help build America back to where it was before the tax cuts for the rich. There are more billionaires now then ever before. Why? The tax cuts.

Panhandling

I lived and worked in downtown Los Angeles for 20 years. Missions and homeless shelters abound there. I could not go out for lunch without being panhandled at least three to four times going and coming. There were also areas of human waste in alleyways and sometimes in higher visibility areas. Law enforcement was helpless to enforce any anti-panhandling or loitering laws. There were too many panhandlers and too few police. Crime rates were high. If you weren't panhandled you stood a good chance of being robbed or harassed. Cape Girardeau does not need this.

Jackson transit

IN response to the story "Cape Girardeau County Commission renews credit for transit authority": I think the transit authority should start using one of they bigger buses for in Jackson. And put up signs in Jackson like it did in Cape Girardeau. And make the fares affordable for senior citizens in Jackson.