Speak Out A 01/28/02

A dog's tribute

IT WARMED our hearts to read the tribute about the dog that passed away. It's great to know there are other human beings out there who feel as we do. After losing our precious cocker spaniel last summer, we understand all too well the feelings expressed in "Happy go lucky." Dogs love us unconditionally. Thank you, whoever you are, for showing how much you cared.

Swampeast story

I COULDN'T resist calling. The article about the Scott County jail was incredible. It's so Swampeast Missouri it makes my heart swell with pride. Thanks, Andrea Buchanan, for brightening my day.

Thanks, street crew

I'D LIKE to thank the street department here in Cape Girardeau. We hear so many complaints about them. We need to compliment them when they've done well. I worked in St. Louis Friday and didn't get home until 2:45 a.m. Saturday morning. Streets were cleared of snow. Even the dead-end streets had been scraped. I think that speaks well for our street department. They're going above and beyond to keep us safe. I thank them a lot.

Sage advice

BOOKER T. Washington said, "I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him." We would all be wise to do the same.

Tear it down

I JUST learned that the city council granted another 120-day extension to the owner of the Marquette Hotel. No one wants to buy that hunk of junk, because it would cost too much to fix up. The city needs to tear that hotel down. It's an eyesore.

Senate nixed treaty

ALAN JOURNET criticized President Bush's rejection of the Kyoto global warming treaty. Our Constitution says that only the U.S. Senate can approve treaties. On a test vote taken by the Senate, every senator present voted against the treaty. This includes some flaming liberal senators.

Will of the people

REGARDING THE second lawsuit, Mayor Al Spradling says Jim Drury is doing everything in his power to go against the will of the people. The people voted down the River Campus project.

Let's move forward

I READ with interest about Jim Drury's latest lawsuit against the city. I think this is just another example of someone who didn't get his way originally with the Show Me Center. I wish he'd just lay off and let us move forward.

Money to fight back

NO DISRESPECT intended toward Mayor Spradling. However, I question his remark that most people don't have frivolous cash on hand to spend thousands and thousands of dollars suing the city. Most people don't, but it bothers City Hall when somebody disagrees and actually has the money to fight back. Jim Drury has a right to his opinion, and he has the money to fight back. Good for him.

It's a slow process

I PREDICT that the Marquette Hotel will be renovated and reopened for business at about the same time that the new federal courthouse is finally built.

Offensive art

I FEEL this community owes much to Jim Drury for taking a stand against SEMO's latest raid on our pocketbooks for its proposed visual and performing arts school. Reasons we should oppose this project: It's a total waste of $36 million. Second, as anyone should know, visual arts today include offensive art in other tax-supported visual centers. Performing art includes more of the increasingly vulgar and profane performances as seen in some of the current SEMO performances.

Remember the workers

I SEE in the paper where the Democratic Party wants to raise our taxes in Missouri. I just wondered when the Democratic Party is going to return to representing the people who work and pay taxes instead of listening to all these do-gooders and raising taxes with every idea they come up with. Come back to the working people, Democrats.

Never rational

"TEACHING ... is simply not a rational economic option anymore," suggested a SEMO graduate. When was it ever?

Adding fodder

I WOULD like to join with the Southeast Missourian and thank all the candidates who are running for area offices. However, If they win, they run the real risk of becoming cannon fodder for Speak Out.

Tell us the truth

DAVID LIMBAUGH recently asked, "Can Democrats handle the truth?" Yes, we can. That's why we have been beseeching, even begging Limbaugh on bended knee to use his considerable talents to tell it to us.

Blame the executives

AT ITS core, the Enron debacle is about illegal business practices. A company falsified reports and destroyed records in an attempt to hide its financial misdealings from shareholders, employees and the government. The Bush administration acted properly by not bailing out the company. To do so would have set a very dangerous precedent. Instead of blaming everyone in sight, perhaps the blame should lie with those responsible: Enron executives. After all, they are the ones who kept the secret.

Plan is working

TO THE caller who described Bush Republicans as naive: Only 5 percent of the tax-cut plan has been implemented in the form of tax rebates. It is rather premature to say that the plan has failed before it has begun. All indications are that the economy is showing signs of life. I would suggest that the only thing that is naive is the willingness of Democrats to assume that any Republican initiative is flawed.

Please add signature

I WOULD like to say that I think it is a terrible shame when school principals, coaches and sponsors of organizations do not take the time to sign the certificates that students receive for participation. How hard can it be to sign these a few at a time or at least have a secretary use a signature stamp on them? If you use a stamp, please make sure the person stamping the certificates takes time to be neat and not blur the signature so badly it isn't readable.