OpinionAugust 2, 2009
Speak Out 8/2/09
Parking woes; America's debt; Gospel singing; Sign placement; Read it first; College audit; Public smoking; Children and smoke; Mayo salaries; Hospital care; Overweight and happy; Life goes on; Highway logic; Noisy street; One of us; More hardships; Police response; Stirring the pot
Parking woes
I'VE had bad things happen to me in parking lots. The worst is being wedged in my normal-sized car between two sport utility vehicles with blackened windows. You are blind backing out, and other drivers who can see you are having difficulty honk rudely. I was coming out of a grocery store that has stop signs so you can get your groceries to the car. A driver in a van nearly ran me down. He was rummaging on the floor for something and sped through two stop signs. In this day and age you have to keep your cool and watch out for yourself. And to think there are people who want to carry guns when they cannot control themselves in public. That scares me.
America's debt
I noticed the Southeast Missourian did not report on a major research report issued by an international think tank about America's debt obligations. That's so typical of the Missourian to ignore anything that doesn't encourage Americans to buy for the good of the economy. Here's a summary: A new study has revealed that when it comes to the important matter of owing large sums of money, Americans display a level of expertise and proficiency unrivaled throughout the world. "Americans not only excel at accruing massive amounts of debt, but they also show an extraordinary talent for failing time and again to pay off these debts. Their ability to consume well beyond their means, disregard all signs of approaching financial ruin and then sit there like a fat duck waiting for solutions to appear is truly remarkable. Few nations achieve such excellence in one singular aspect of life. Bravo, America." The report concluded that Americans are also second to none when it comes to defaulting on long-overdue loans, be they from individuals, banks or great and powerful nations that have absolutely no qualms about making others regret their foolish mistakes for generations to come.
Gospel singing
I want to thank Jackson Homecomers organizers for how they did the gospel singing. I think it's a clever idea to have different groups come on. It was energizing to see all the different talent that this area has to offer.
Sign placement
SOMEONE needs to reassess sign placement at Independence and Fredrick streets. The stop sign is back too far, and the brick courthouse sign makes for a blind spot for low cars. A motorcycle was struck there in the blind spot.
Read it first
I'M listening to the health-care debate, and one thing comes to mind: Most of us are taught at a young age that you do not sign a contract that you haven't read or do not understand thoroughly. Some of us have done so anyway and learned a lesson the hard way. Now the president is demanding that very thing. He wants to have a health-care reform bill signed into law before anyone is allowed to read it. That tells me that there is plenty wrong with the bill. The whole thing stinks of deception.
College audit
READ the full audit report of Three Rivers Community Colege at http://auditor.mo.gov/press/2009-71.pdf, and you'll certainly wonder how or why Three Rivers would be allowed to open a community college in Cape Girardeau when it clearly can't manage assets, inventory, policy or tuition rates on the main campus. For at least three years, Three Rivers has not been reconciling bank accounts and has failed to list all capital assets on financial statements. Obviously, the media couldn't cover the full report, but there's much more revealed in the 48-page document.
Public smoking
HACK, hack, hack. The smoke is killing me. Don't smokers have any self-respect? Save yourselves first, and save the rest of us too. Stop smoking in public.
Children and smoke
ARE you tired of going to a restaurant with your children and the supposedly nonsmoking section has smoke floating in from the smoking section? This is not simply a matter of choice where my family could go to another restaurant if it doesn't want to be around cigarettes. We waited extra time for a table in the nonsmoking section. But unless you end up on the other end of the building, smoke still filters in. And if you're in the seats next to the smoking section, you might as well have a cigarette on your own table. Smoking intrudes into other people's space. It's time for Cape Girardeau's city leaders to begin research into what are prudent initial steps to ban smoking in public buildings and restaurants. What people want to do with their own health is their choice, although if they're honest with themselves, they'll admit it was stupid to start. But smoking around children is simply unacceptable.
Mayo salaries
THE Mayo Clinic is considered the No. 1 hospital in the United States. Its physicians are paid a salary.
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Hospital care
EMERGENCY rooms are swamped with people who need a personal doctor. Many who are really sick got that way by not seeing a doctor sooner, and the only treatment they can get is prescriptions they can't afford. I was admitted to a hospital and given the doctor on call. He was nice until he found out I was on Medicaid. From then on, he talked from the door and tried to send me home every day. I was having episodes of a deadly heart-rhythm problem called sustained v-tach and could have died at any moment. He finally said he was going to send me to St. Louis. Thank goodness doctors in St. Louis got my records that day, and they called insisting I be sent right then. St. Louis people put me in the ICU and did many tests. They found the problem and saved my life. Some places will help you, but most can't or won't.
Overweight and happy
SOME people feel good about themselves because they exercise, and maybe they're someone who's born skinny and never had a problem gaining weight. However, recent studies show that overweight people could live longer because they're happy. If you want to exercise yourself into oblivion, go ahead. Leave the rest of us alone.
Life goes on
I have several friends who have lost a child. This is the worst thing that can happen to a parent. The Southeast Missourian seems to focus this particular tragedy. Life goes on and so should this newspaper.
Highway logic
JACKSON builds an elementary school on a high-speed highway and has to get help from MoDOT and the city to solve the traffic problems to the tune of $750,000-plus. I'm having trouble following the logic of this.
Noisy street
POLICE need to patrol the 700 block of South Ellis Street. Kids are hanging out and making noise, and people can't sleep. Then you have to get up in the morning and work.
One of us
THE Cape Girardeau elite don't understand why people like Jay Purcell. We like Purcell because he's one of us. He's a regular person. He has a lot of bills. He has family problems. This doesn't make him a bad person. This makes him one of us, and that's why we like him. That's why the Cape elite keep attacking him.
More hardships
SHAME on you, Southeast Missourian. Why can't you let Jay Purcell and his family alone? Everyone knows his situation and the past and current hardships he and his family have gone through recently. It seems as if you want to give him more hardships. May God bless Jay Purcell and his family. May the windows of heaven open up and pour out a hundredfold for all the opposition he has received. It is despicable to go after Purcell for late-paid taxes. Many citizens, business owners and investors have to pay their taxes late for various reasons, including medical bills. The Missourian needs a new vendetta. Leave Purcell alone. He is definitely the winner on this one.
Police response
I'D like to know why people condemn a whole section of town because of what goes on a couple of a streets. I can't agree with the person who says police would not respond to a call. I experienced the same thing happening on South Hanover and Cousin streets. At 2 a.m. there was a large group gathered. Police officers showed up, and everybody left. I'd just like to thank the police officers who showed up and dispersed the crowd. Please stop condemning the whole south side.
Stirring the pot
I am disappointed that the Southeast Missourian would print an article about Jay Purcell's late taxes. It's obvious to me that you didn't take into consideration what has been going on in his life as far as his wife's heart surgery and other things that have affected his finances. I would say nine out of 10 readers, after reading this article, plan on sending Purcell money to help pay his taxes. All you did was stir the pot and degrade a situation that hasn't been good anyway.
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