Speak Out A 02/17/02

No thanks to you

WHAT'S THE deal with these liberals? Now it's Ted Turner calling the terrorists "at least brave." And then he attacks the president. Next it's Al Gore who says he and Bill Clinton knew how to run foreign policy while President Bush is some sort of idiot. Hello! Earth to Gore and Turner. There's a reason Bush's popularity rating is nearly 90 percent. He's doing a darn fine job of running the country, no thanks to you two.

Holiday perks

IN RESPONSE to the county commissioner's feelings about state holidays: I am employed by the state. My rate of pay is very much lower than I could be earning elsewhere, but I choose this position because of the benefits such as 12 holidays and working hours. State employees did not receive a salary increase last year and won't this year. The benefits are one of the few drawing cards the state has to recruit and maintain quality employees. I would hope the public would not have a poor view of state employees who are working in short-staffed offices without pay increases because we are given Lincoln's Birthday off.

Bring on Ralph Nader

THE ENRON scandal will pay big dividends for the GOP in 2004 in helping to re-elect President Bush because the scandal will lead to another presidential bid from the Democrat-vote-draining Ralph Nader.

Move with the flow

WHEN THE highway department years ago decided to make two lanes into four lanes coming from Jackson to Cape and vice versa, it did it to alleviate the traffic congestion of just having a two-lane highway. Somehow that means of easing up traffic congestion and keeping it flowing smoothly has been misunderstood by the people who continue to drive as slow as they want in the left lanes. Yes, it is your right to drive in the left lane, but you have to remember that you must drive with the "flow of traffic." That means if the majority of the traffic in the left lane is going over 55 mph, then if you are in that left lane you must drive that speed too. Common sense and courtesy would tell you to get over in the right lane if you are not going to drive with the flow of traffic.

Fund-raising scams

SO THE EPA is giving money to groups who turn around and sue them? What's the big news about that? Much of the environmental movement is a fund-raising scam by these agencies to keep their hot-shot staffs living high on the hog. You don't believe me? Look at how much these groups spend on fund raising. In most cases it's well over half of their budgets. At least Alan Journet works cheaply. He acts out of fervent belief and backs it up with action. The national groups are a scam. In the future, send your money to Alan. He'll do something better with it.

In God We Trust

I COMMEND Virginia for using the motto "In God We Trust." I wish Missouri would get some backbone and do the same. I hate to think we have the Senate majority leader speaking against God. I sure would hate to be him on judgment day. Actually, I hate to think a lot of us will have to answer to God for not promoting his works more and defending his name and honor. We put his name on the back of the dollar bill with a satanic symbol, and you wonder why we have evil in our world.

That's it! They're aliens!

"AN ATTITUDE has developed in this nation that the teaching profession is sacred." The fact that this shockingly erroneous insight emanated from a Southeast Missourian ink spiller confirms my long-held suspicion that said editorial staff resides on Saturn.

Proud Democrat

YES, THE Democratic Party is the party of all the people, not just the party of the privileged few or those who think of themselves as privileged and better than the rest. For these reasons, I am a Democrat -- a proud Democrat.

United effort

YES, CALLER, it was necessary for taxpayer money to be spent for the purpose of covering the bare breasts of a statue in front of which U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft was standing. It requires a united taxpayer effort to repeal the Renaissance.

Support for campus

YOU REPORTED that Jim Drury says the university, the city and, presumably now, the Missouri Supreme Court "are trying to screw taxpayers into paying for something they didn't want." But the truth is that a majority of the voters supported everything that was voted on. If anyone is screwing the majority of this city's people, it is Jim Drury.

More important needs

I REALLY wished that the lawsuit by Jim Drury would have gone through. I think it is just wrong that the city will push and bully its way to get anything through. Why we don't stand up for ourselves when government does this is beyond me. City of Cape Girardeau, I really hope that all of this is really worth it. I graduated from SEMO in 2001, and I can tell you that it sure needs an English and Literature Building, something that every student must take, more than they need an arts building that is an elective for students. You put your money in the wrong place again.

Donate legal fees

IS JIM Drury going to file another lawsuit now that he lost this one? Oh, you tell me he already has? What is this now: He's lost on 20 of the 21 claims so far. Give us a break. Why doesn't Drury just donate the money he's paying his lawyers to the River Campus and the city won't need a tax.

Accept the defeat

NOW THAT the Supreme Court has decided the issue about the River Campus, Jim Drury should show he's a gentleman and stop the silly games. He's said time and time again that he supports the River Campus, he just didn't think the election was fair. Well, the Supreme Court has overruled him. The election was fair. The people supported the tax. Now it's time for Drury to let the campus develop as a majority of the city said it wanted from the beginning. Drury took his stand on principle. Now he needs to prove he can accept defeat with grace.

Just three words

I HAVE a three-word response to David Limbaugh's outrage over alleged Democrat stalling on the approval of Bush appointees to the federal bench: Remember Ronnie White.

Return to deficits

WE WILL complain about it but secretly applaud the return of deficit spending. As George Will said, "We are ideological conservatives but operational liberals."

Little clout

ONE OF the things we learned from the River Campus decision is that Jim Drury may have a lot of money, but he has very little political clout. Now those with political clout can add to their fortunes.

Need repairs

THE MISSOURI Department of Transportation needs to start repairing the area at the Cape Girardeau-Jackson interchange. It has been neglected. We have potholes everywhere. The outer road is rough.