Speak Out 9/1/06

Tobacco settlements

REMEMBER WHEN the states sued tobacco manufacturers? The states said if they won they would use the millions of dollars to treat smoking-related illnesses. Guess what? They won, and a big portion of the money is being used for other purposes. I guess smoking-related illnesses were not as serious as everyone was telling us.

County money

I WAS at a doctor's office, and man who sat by me started talking about Alexander County in Illinois. He said, "What in the world do they do with all their tax money? The rich get richer." But when I started to explain, he got up and left. I'd like for people to think about any county. The county pays for everyone who works in the courthouse. It pays the phone bills and electric bills and buys all the fuel, It pays for the sheriff's department and the county highway department. Anything that has to do with a county employee, that's where the county taxes go. It's not the rich getting richer. Don't talk about the county employees. They're working the best they can.

No workers

I THINK the new law imposing fines on motorists when highway workers get injured or killed is great. But I think our legislators are at fault for not including in this bill that signs would not be put up unless the workers are actually working. At times we've driven back and forth from St. Louis and there have been as much as 60 miles of highway cones and markers and you might see two or three workers. This makes motorists not pay attention to the signs and cones. If they're not working, don't put these signs and cones up.

Snake warning

FOR PEOPLE who like to hike out around Cape Rock Park: Look out. Sunday I came across about a 4-foot-long rattlesnake. You might want to be careful while you're out there. Where there's one, there's more.

Thanks for help

I WOULD like to thank to the man who helped me get my car out of the water at Siemers Drive and Bloomfield Road Sunday night. I appreciate it. It took about an hour for my car to dry out enough where it would start. I really appreciate the help. God bless you.

Impact on Jackson

I'VE BEEN riding with Cape County Transit for years. Now it seems that once Cape County Transit moved into Cape Girardeau that our Jackson operation is going to the dogs. Our rates have been raised to where we can't afford a ride. Our wait time is just unreasonable. The personnel at the Cape Girardeau office are rude.