Speak Out 8/24/12

Excessive power

Am I the only person concerned that our schools, which we support with our taxes, are now telling us what our kids can eat and wear? For more than 100 years we have done very well without being told what to do; now we are not smart enough to take care of our children. I don't understand how the people of this country can simply sit back and allow our government and public schools to enact a power grab, as this plainly is. One more freedom gone. Sit and think about how many things you could do years ago that have now been made against the law. Remember, excessive power always leads to corruption.

Social Security

Social Security has been one of the best things and still is. The younger people had better watch out for the change the Republicans want to make. Have people save for their retirement on their own? It would be better to have to pay a little more. People have lost their life savings on the 401(k), and that is a good example of where the middle class would end up. The rich have all the greater ways and benefits to save. They don't get hurt like the middle class did. Also, Congress has been borrowing from it too, which hasn't helped any.

Obama's record

Recognizing Obama II: Well, let's see. Obama bailed out GM and left us taxpayers with $35 billion more debt, not to mention the trillions he's added to the national debt. He created Obamacare -- a 2,600-page monstrosity that a Democrat-controlled Congress did not read before passing. Then he granted 1,400 Obamacare waivers to his friends, including the entire state of Nevada (Democrat Sen. Harry Reid). He won't enforce border security. He's afraid of voter ID laws because then dead Democrats can't vote. He removed the work requirement from welfare. His wife tells a 16-year-old gold medalist what to eat. I don't need the government to tell me what to eat, drink, drive, listen to, watch, believe, or what kind of light bulb to use. Would you like more examples?

Opinion bias

Someone said the conservative Republican bias of the Southeast Missourian Opinion page indicates an attempt to sway voters to vote Republican. It's just the opposite. Southeast Missourian operatives realize most of their readers don't care for authority. Thus, the daily flood of authority figures on the Opinion page criticizing the Obama administration and encouraging us to support Romney-Ryan is really an attempt to get us to rebel against this constant onslaught and support President Obama's re-election. In my opinion, the staff and management of the Southeast Missourian is filled with socialists, communists and others on the extreme left. There needs to be an investigation.

Graduation rate

The Cape Girardeau School District may not yet be able to document the reason for its rising high school graduation rate. However, I am more than confident that it is because of the implementation of a world-class motivational program, with world-class motivational instructors. The program, not widely known or used, is for incoming freshmen and is known as PAS, Preparing for Academic Success. I urge all area school administrative personnel -- public, private and parochial -- to observe the program and interview the students and teachers involved. Once they do, I am certain serious consideration will be given to starting the same program at their respective schools, ASAP.

Akin's remarks

Todd Akin's repulsive remarks about "legitimate rape" exposes the dark underbelly of the Republican Party that it has to some degree kept under wraps, with the exception of Sharon Angle, Christine O'Donnell and a few others.

Rate increase

I attended the meeting with Ameren on the rate increase. We listened to a PR guy from Ameren tell us that times are tough and everyone has to sacrifice; so they are asking everyone to just pay a little more. It seems like a reasonable request until you realize that Ameren paid their stockholders $2.2 billion in the last five years and their CEO, Tom Voss, got a salary and benefit package of $5.7 million last year, a 20 percent increase from 2009. In addition, the office of the Public Counsel of the Public Service Commission says that Ameren wants their customers to pay for expensive lawyers, consultants and lobbyists in their effort to get the rate increase. Where does it stop?