Speak Out 9/8/05

Spending our money

THE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asked for $105 million for hurricane and flood programs in New Orleans last year. The White House carved it to about $40 million. But President Bush and Congress agreed to a $286.4 billion pork-filled highway bill with 6,000 pet projects, including a $231 million bridge for a barely inhabited Alaskan island.

Be prepared

I WANT to know why each state does not have a gigantic stash of cots, tents, water tankers, purification equipment, medical supplies and ready-to-eat meal packs in storage ready to deliver in case of natural disaster. Each state should have an emergency fund that can be used immediately to buy food, generators or other emergency supplies or send a portion to neighboring states if needed. Why do we have a burgeoning deficit to pay for new schools in Iraq, but we don't have the basics here? God help us all if we have a New Madrid earthquake. We will have to fend for ourselves with nothing for only God knows how long.

Rental grievances

IN RESPONSE to your article about the landlord: There are so many apartment buildings in need of repair. If you complain, you are either asked to move or ignored. If you go to the health department about the conditions of buildings, you are either ignored or they say they can't do anything. The landlords control the city. At least we have a couple of police officers and one prosecuting attorney who have a conscience.

What would you do?

BLAMING PEOPLE in New Orleans for not leaving? Are people oblivious to the fact that we have poverty in America? Some people don't have the means to leave town at a moment's notice. Try thinking about what you would do if you had no car, little money and nowhere to stay even if you could leave town. What would your answer be?

A fake world

WHETHER OR not our national IQ has risen in the past few decades has nothing to do with video games, and it is certainly no thanks to the person who recently boasted about the educational value of video games. Perhaps instead of tuning your brain cells into a useless video game you could attempt to come up with an alternative fuel or find a cure to cancer. Besides, what's the point of saving a fake world when the one around you is falling apart?

Not a necessity

NO ONE drives an SUV out of necessity. Are SUV drivers trying to say that before the rise of the SUV people couldn't fit their whole family into a sedan? Or carry their groceries in the trunk? Most SUVs, a vehicle purported to be for heavy-duty or off-road use, are used as people movers, not utility vehicles. Some may find them useful, but they are far from a necessity.

Abolish federal system?

AS OTHERS have pointed out, maybe the much ballyhooed constitutional of federalism (division of power between national and state government) caused much of the confusion that led to the belated response to Hurricane Katrina. Maybe it's time to abolish the federal system (conservatives would whine a lot, but they are quick to try to deflect criticism of President Bush by blaming state and local officials) and adopt a unitary system, like the British. All of the limited power of government would rest with Washington. Turf battles would be reduced and often eliminated.

Think of the children

I AGREE that video games have raised the national IQ. Video games also increase hand-eye coordination, enhance problem-solving and navigation skills, teach one to multitask, increase visual acuity and make one's timing much more precise. Difficult video games teach children patience, and the cost of video games can be used to teach children about savings and budgets. When are we going to think of the children and allow them to play more video games?

Greedy looters

I AGREE that stealing to survive can be overlooked. But the looting we saw on TV had little to do with things needed to survive. Those stealing guns weren't using them to kill predators. Who shot at rescuers? Who robbed a nurse? Who stole supplies being delivered? Who shot at those trying to fix the levee? There is no excuse for the looters' actions.

National sins

BEFORE EVOLUTIONARY philosophy became the pre-eminent worldview, people recognized that natural disasters were reasons for people to seek what God was saying. God was sovereign over Hurricane Katrina. His desire is for there to be many miracles of redemption, but we must consider 2 Chronicles 7:14 for him to heal our land. We should seek him and all of us repent for our national sins, not just point a finger at New Orleans.

University name

A NUMBER of comments have been made about changing the bidirectional name of Southeast Missouri State University. This needs to done, but change to what? Something like Cape Rock University fits the locale, but this ties it mainly to Cape Girardeau. Considering its river location, a name like River Rock University might be appropriate. This incorporates the rivers (Mississippi, Ohio) and places like Cape Rock, Tower Rock, Bald Knob, Pilot Knob, Elephant Rocks, Reelfoot Lake and Crowley's Ridge, which extends from Missouri deep into Arkansas.

Flooding potential

A MEGACHURCH, day-care facility and goodness knows what else are to be constructed on Bertling Street in Cape Girardeau. This well-intentioned project will have all kinds of positive benefits. However, one of the unintended consequences will be water runoff resulting in flooding in nearby neighborhoods.

Too good a deal

A SOUTHEAST Missouri State University student complained about having three or four hours of homework a week when enrolled in 12 credit hours. Indeed, the student should be complaining -- not because of too much homework but because of too little. A 12- to 15-hour load is considered a full-time student load precisely because students are expected to study two to three hours for each in-class hour. So a 12-hour load equates to a full-time 36- to 48-hour work week. A student taking 12 hours and working full-time has the equivalent of two full-time jobs. Education is funny. It's one of the few things folks complain about because they are getting too much for their money.

Making ethanol

THERE WAS a comment about how it takes more energy to make a gallon of ethanol than you get out of it when you burn it. A gallon of ethanol contains at least 77,000 BTUs of energy, while only 35,000 BTUs of energy are required to make it. I'm not a corn producer, but that seems pretty productive.

Pulling together

IT IS apparent the vast majority of those speaking against the federal government -- our military, FEMA -- haven't been there or done those jobs. There is a chain-of-command process that takes time. Actions cannot be taken without proper communications, and there were none in the area Hurricane Katrina destroyed. Equipment was under water too. It takes time to mobilize and drive convoys cross-country. Rather than being negative, be thankful for the good works of millions of Americans pulling together to help the families from the Gulf Coast states.