Speak Out

Worst mosquitoes

WHEN IS the city going to start spraying for mosquitoes? This is absolutely the worst mosquito year in memory.

Deserved recognition

A CALLER reprimanded the newspaper for giving front-page coverage to the three persons killed in Scott City and sharing that with fallen troopers on the page. A lot of hard-working people risk their lives in the work they do, as the caller stated. One thought: Every risk taken is for someone else by state troopers. Why not give them some well-deserved recognition?

The blame strategy

DURING THE Clinton boom years, Republicans went out of their way to point out that the president had little control over the economy and deserved no credit for the unprecedented economic prosperity. Now that the stock market has gone bust, Republicans have devised a strategy of blaming Bill Clinton for setting the stage for the economic bubble to burst. This strategy may be even too much for the likes of Rush Limbaugh to stomach. The American people understand this hypocrisy and will gain retribution for this reprehensible Republican rhetoric at the polls later this year.

Gephardt's strategy

ROLL CALL reported that U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt, the Democratic minority leader, told his Democratic House colleagues he thought the Democrats could pick up "as many as 40 House seats" if they could just keep the corporate scandal issue "on the political radar screen until November." His stand makes it painfully obvious that the speaker wannabe is willing to sacrifice the jobs of untold numbers of working families to advance his political agenda by bashing American business. Gephardt and his insidious plan are detrimental to the financial stability of the stock market and certainly not good for Americans who own stock. I just hope this selfish, self-serving plan backfires.

We can wait a year

I AM looking forward to seeing the Lorimier Red House once it is finished, and I think it is a wonderful civic project. However, how does it warrant a grant from MoDOT? We are being asked to approve a tax increase for MoDOT next month. One of the reasons given by a state legislator to justify the tax increase was to offset fuel-tax funds that are currently being diverted from MoDOT. According to the news media, this diversion already amounts to more than $150 million. And a recent article implied it amounts to about $30 million a year. This is in addition to the amount diverted to the state highway patrol. The legislature needs to act courageously and repair the leaks in the current fund and ensure more accountability for MoDOT, not present us with a tax increase. Until this is done, I will not vote for Proposition B, and I urge all voters to bring this to the attention of their legislators by defeating this proposition. We can wait another year and do this thing right.

A lawyer who cares

DON'T TELL me lawyers don't listen or care. I found a wonderful lawyer. I trusted him with my life and would again if needed. When I was having trouble getting medical care, my lawyer was concerned about my health and helped me. He listened and cared. It took me six years to get my situation taken care of, but it was worth it in the long run.

Need senator's support

STATE SEN. Peter Kinder is well over halfway toward having a chapter devoted to him in a new edition of "Profiles in Courage." His unwavering support for a new stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals remains an act of undaunted courage. In order for him to cinch a chapter in the new book and a place in history, he must step up to the plate and issue a rousing public endorsement of the uphill battle to improve Missouri's dilapidated roadways, formally known as Proposition B. Our backs are against the wall, Senator. Please go to the well one more time.