Speak Out A 01/25/02

Barking pollution

I WISH people who live on Fountain Street would keep their barking dogs quiet at night so people who work during the day can sleep and not have my children come in my room in the middle of the night because the barking woke them up.

Remove the log

AH, THE humor of a Southeast Missourian editorial calling for political civility. Were you pointing out the disrespect Peter Kinder spews almost every time he opens his lips? Of course not. Just once, would you guys consider removing the log from your own eyes before touching the splinter in ours?

Good questions

JACK STAPLETON asked: "$40 million for what?" Good question. It will be interesting to see how well the elected officials of Missouri measure up to the five unresolved issues Stapleton set forth. I will be especially interested in not asking us to pay more taxes and not building athletic arenas for special-interest groups. Stapleton identified many places where fat can be cut from the state budget. Legislators should heed his advice. I think taxpayers are getting a little fed up with our elected officials "quibbling over trifles," and "scouting for new political venues." I know I am.

Good use of resources

THE MAYOR is upset, again, with Jim Drury for bringing a justifiable lawsuit against the city relative to the proposed River Campus. Quoting Hizzoner: "Most people don't have frivolous cash on hand to spend thousands and thousands of dollars suing the city." The mayor is correct about one thing: Most of us taxpayers don't have the resources to pursue correction of bad legislation and decision making in the courts. Therefore, it is nice to have a local citizen who is willing to commit resources to correct this absurd project. Thanks, Mr. Drury. And, thanks to the voters of Cape for voting in term limits for the mayor.

Stop wasting money

IT'S TIME for SEMO to move on and forget this failed River Campus disaster. Can't they see the light that this project is never going to happen? They will continue to haggle in court, costing the taxpayers more and more dollars to fight a challenger who will never go away. In these budget-stringent times where faculty and staff can't get cost-of-living increases, quit investing in this failed project and invest in the students and staff who actually run the campus, not administrators' hopes and resume builders.

Not taken seriously

LIVING IN an apartment building where our assigned parking spots are in a small lot, there is only one lane behind our vehicles where we can drive. This lane is marked "No Parking" and is used as a fire lane. After a truck had parked here illegally for two days, blocking my car in, I asked the Cape Girardeau police to investigate. After the dispatcher told me an officer would be over soon, there was two hours of no action before I called in again. The same lady transferred me to an officer, who said he would be over soon. With disbelief in mind, I gave up getting assistance from the local police. Early the next morning, major payback was given when police, an ambulance and a fire truck were called to the apartment for an emergency. This truck, illegally parked for the fourth day, blocked the emergency vehicles from getting into the lot. Small problems lead to large problems, and one of the police department's responsibilities is to prevent problems from arising. Why do the police not take small problems seriously?

Volunteer valets

I AGREE with Raymond Lunbeck that SEMO could use valet parking to solve the problem of students being worn out by having to park so far from buildings in which they have classes. However, I think the cost to the taxpayers of subsidizing valet parking could and should be offset in part by making use of members of fraternities and sororities and other student service organizations to serve as volunteer valets.

Blame the Democrats

THE COMMENT about the Republican $600 tax refund conveniently ignores that the idea came from the Democrats. The Republicans were against it, preferring to let those who had earned it get their refunds in the fullness of time. Then the Democrats pushed to give everyone a refund just because they were alive.

Another boondoggle

I SEE the funding of the River Campus by the city and state as another boondoggle by the university. It ranks right up there with the proposed new Cardinals baseball stadium. Despite what our mayor says is frivolous, the citizens of Cape are lucky that we have someone like Jim Drury who is willing to spend his own money seeking relief from this asinine project.