Speak Out 8/9/07

All's well

ALL IS right with the world again. Bob and Callie are back in my Sunday newspaper.

Not soon enough

I WAS so pleased about the Missouri Legislature's passage of the bill eliminating state income tax on our Social Security checks. Now I get information from state Sen. Jason Crowell that only 20 percent will be exempt this year, and phased out by 2012. When you're 86 years old, it won't help much. Why not eliminate it all this year?

P&G tax goes to Jackson

THE CALLER who said the Nell Holcomb School District receives a great deal of money of Procter & Gamble needs to check his facts. Almost all the Procter & Gamble tax revenue goes to the Jackson School District, not the Nell Holcomb School District.

Paying over and over

IT DOESN'T surprise me that the new federal building needs a new roof. Any time the government does anything, it costs the taxpayer over and over again. It's time to vote incumbents out of office. Our representatives have lost touch with reality.

All in one paragraph

A RECENT comment suggested that people opposed to the Iraq war were denigrating our troops. The comment also suggested that we walked away from victory in Vietnam. In one brief paragraph this comment demonstrated that author understood neither the critics nor the war in Iraq and certainly not the war in Vietnam. Not bad for one short paragraph.

Farm subsidies

REGARDING THE farm-welfare piglet subsidies: To find the amount of farm subsidies which some farmers in the Cape Girardeau County area receive, go to Web site ewg.org. Here you can see the piglet problem regarding the farm welfare program.

Made in the U.S.

WE ARE having so many recalls from China about food, dog food and now children's toys. Why don't we try making these things ourselves?

Spend money at home

REGARDING THE tragedy with the bridge collapsing: Why haven't we inspected the bridges before? Why do we wait for a catastrophe to inspect bridges all over the United States? Officials said it would cost an astronomical amount of money to replace bridges or to upgrade them. How much money are we spending on the war? Why don't we bring our troops home where the belong? Then we could spend all the billions of dollars we're sending over there here in America.

Nature center

IN THE article about Cape Girardeau's attractions, the nature center at Cape County Park North was omitted. This is a very important and one of the best assets that has come to this area. I'm sure it has drawn lots of visitors.

No forgetting

I WOULD like to know what the General Services Administration means when it says unused funds would be used to fix problems on the new federal building. Do we have a surplus of money for screwups the GSA makes? If we do, we should lower taxes. The GSA's regional director says those problems will be forgotten once the courthouse opens. I won't forget it, and I'll show my dissatisfaction when election time rolls around by voting against anyone who had anything to do with this boondoggle.

Clean highways

I WOULD like to applaud Joe and Freda Sauer for their efforts cleaning up Highway 74 Southern Expressway. It pleases me seeing people who take the effort to keep our highways beautiful and clean.

Use caution

I THINK one should look out for those who are disabled, whether mentally or physically challenged, and be grateful that you are able to walk around. I talked to a man recently who said power chairs are hard to maneuver. As able-bodied people, surely we can stay out of the way. Of course, users of power chairs don't have a license to be careless either.

Too complacent

CONGRATULATIONS TO Three Rivers Community College for its guts and foresight in announcing its attentions to develop a Cape Girardeau extension. This shows real leadership from the staff and governing body. In this day and age, we need to buck the establishment more. People have become too complacent. Let's bring back the spirit of the 1960s. Stand up and be counted.

Blame government

I HAVE lost all respect for not this nation but, as John Steinbeck said, "this government." Without one word of warning, my Supplemental Security Income was taken away. That leaves me with $565 a month. I'm a veteran of Korea, and I'm writing for millions in the same boat. My livelihood has been taken by the senseless war in Iraq, overweight smokers, people who live for the moment -- egged on by celebrity idiots and false advertisements -- and politicians. Until we give up four TVs in every household and face reality now, you will never be prepared for what's coming, which is loss of our freedom and our destruction.

It's broken

I WANT to comment about the new federal building. The government approved everything before it was done. Someone's signed off on it. This is an example of what government does, and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and John Edwards wants to turn our health care over to the government. They think the government knows better how to do everything than everyone else. They're all for big government. This is an example. Everything the government touches, including our Social Security, is as broke as the federal building.

Listen to soldiers

I AM certain that not every soldier in Iraq is in the same neighborhood, and yet the theme seems to be the same. Why are so many here at home willing to believe the slanted rantings of the media and of politicians with an obvious agenda rather than the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who are there? Why do you have so little respect for them? That is like being treated in an emergency room and, instead of listening to the doctor who treated you when he tells you what you need for treatment and follow-up, calling Paris Hilton for her opinion.

No soccer dogs

IT IS nearing soccer season, I hope Jackson puts a stop to allowing people to bring their dogs to the soccer park. There is nothing worse than seeing a dog defecate on the playing field before a game that our children play on.