Speak Out 9/8/06

Downtown violators

CAPE GIRARDEAU police should start issuing tickets to people who park downtown illegally. There are people who are still parking in no-parking zones and people who are still parking on Broadway and Main Street where it clearing states "No parking from here to corner." Also people park next to fire hydrants. Most of this goes on between noon and 1:30 p.m.

Spending priorities

I SAW where a Little League ballplayer was offered $1 million to play. Can anyone imagine where we would be if all the money spent on sports and religion were spent to prevent disease and poverty? Just imagine.

You make me laugh

DON GREENWOOD, thank you so much for making me laugh. You're so witty.

Values tossed aside

IT IS disappointing to see the AP article on MTV. There are those who are working hard to have family values on TV. Then a reporter tosses aside these values that Americans are working so hard for.

Tired of profiteers

I DON'T believe one-party control will last much longer. Americans have grown weary of the war profiteers. It's time for a change. It's time to do what's best for America and for all Americans, not just the wealthy ones.

Excellent schools

AFTER READING the front-page story about MAP scores, I'm reminded of the lack of personal responsibility that runs rampant in America today. My family and I attended the public schools in Cape Girardeau. My children have gone to Jefferson and Alma Schrader elementary schools and have done well there. I'm reminded every time I go to the high school of what excellent faculty leadership there is there. Parents should be held accountable for their children's poor performance on standardized tests. Some children continue to be taught that their lack of focus and effort is somehow someone else's fault. In today's society, no one, especially in the city of Cape Girardeau, has an excuse not to learn. The teachers are excellent. It is the parents who are to be blamed.

Thanks for paving

HERE IS a thank you to Cape Girardeau. The new asphalt on Kage Road is beautiful. Thank you.

Flying high

WHEN I turned the corner of Bertling Street and Perryville Road, I see Old Glory flying high, tattered, torn and faded, just like our fighting soldiers must feel. God bless the fighting men for freedom.

Student sales

MY HUSBAND and I put four kids through Cape Girardeau's public school system a few years ago. To our recollection the only time our kids asked the neighbors for any money was the UNICEF cans at Halloween. Now our neighborhood has several families with school-age children. School has been in session for less than a month, and the children are at the door selling this or that. It is hard to turn down a young face with eager expectations, so you end up saying yes to something you don't need or want and spending money you don't want to spend. Why does the public school system have to have these funds, and what do they do with the money? If you need something for your classroom, ask the parents to help. We helped our children. Let us enjoy these kids and not wonder when we see them coming up the driveway what they want to sell us now.

Successful sale

THE U.S. 61 yard sale was a success. Thank you, and may God bless the sponsors and organizers.

No double dipping

SURELY OUR county commissioners would not do what the editorial in the Missourian stated they're planning to do for 2007: collect road property taxes at the end of this year for 2007 and also collect sales tax throughout 2007 for the same purpose. This would be double dipping and dirty pool. I challenge our commissioners to get this cleared up as soon as possible. Otherwise, we've been duped into voting for something that would otherwise not have passed. The commissioners have bragged about the surplus of county funds, so let's use it to do what they promised to do: eliminate road property taxes for 2006. We are counting on the commissioners to get this straightened out quickly.

Paying for service

I'M A resident of Jackson. I read about the rate increase for electricity. I hope when our rates go up 35 percent that the power quits going out every time the wind blows. It's pathetic. Sometimes we sit from 45 minutes to an hour when it's barely raining outside. I would be glad to pay for better service, but what we've got right now is hardly service at all.