Speak Out 9/6/03

Starving in America

I GET so tired of reading and hearing about people being hungry in the United States. Most of these people who would like to have something else to eat aren't starving. You can ask probably 98 percent of the children at any time if they're hungry, and they'll tell you yes if they think they're going to get a goodie. People are actually being underfed and malnourished. That's a different story. But most people can avoid that if they're willing to work.

Water over the road

I'D LIKE to call attention to the new Nash Road interchange near the airport. On the northbound side there is water over the new highway. This is another screw-up on engineering by MoDOT. It looks like to me if the highway department had raised the road another foot or two, we wouldn't have this problem.

Students running around

IT'S AWFUL that we spend our tax money to build a brand new building for Central High School, and the students run up and down Silver Springs Road and all through the trailer courts. They can't stay on their own property. We paid all these taxes for them to run around.

Shutdown sympathy

MY HEART goes out to the people who are losing their jobs at Jim Wilson Co. I lost my job several years ago with the same employee stock ownership plan that Jim Wilson Co. has. I worked at Lenco in Jackson and experienced the same thing these people are experiencing. I had 20 years in, and it's not easy to walk away knowing you worked 20 years and lost everything that you worked for and have to start over. Hang in there, guys. It will get better.

Computers did it

I READ Joe Sullivan's column about the multipage bills, even the city's utility bill. He wants to know why. It's very simple. The wonderful computer has generated all the paperwork.

Need to change

IN ALL the years I've been teaching at Jackson School District, I don't believe teacher morale has ever been so low. It's not because of the state cutting $1.4 million. It's not because of not getting raises or getting small raises. It's not because of the children. And it's not because of the parents. It's because this is the first time in all my years of teaching there that we have leaders who don't treat us like the professionals that we are. There's a lot of things going on, and I hope Jackson residents will talk to their board members about a change in leadership.

Thanks for the help

I WANT to say thank you to a man named Allen who lives near Pocahontas, Mo. He deserves a good-neighbor plaque. In the winter, he comes in and plows all the other older people's driveways. If you need any help of any kind at any time, he's there to help and doesn't want or take anything for his help. Thank you again, Allen, for all your help. And God bless you.

Need help on Ellis Street

THE POLICE are not doing their jobs. In the 500 block of Ellis Street you can't get out of your car in front of your own house without people running to your car and opening the car doors. That is a shame. The police need to crack down on Ellis Street. People who stay in this neighborhood need for something to be done.

Change the lanes

WHOEVER LAID out the stripes for shifting lanes for going south on Mount Auburn Road at the new Independence Street intersection must be used to driving go-carts. The lanes shift in about 20 feet. Go-carts can shift from one lane to another in 20 feet, but regular cars going 30 mph need much more space. We need about 100 feet to shift from one lane to another and not hit the car beside us in the next lane. Please make the shift lines a lot longer. Give us room to move over without hitting everybody else.