Speak Out A 04/16/02

Cleanup in McClure

IT IS time for spring cleaning in the McClure, Ill., area. Just look at the eyesore on Main Street. As you come into the small town, you see all the old houses about to fall down, junk cars in yards and all kinds of trash. I know people can clean up their property a little bit and make it look like a decent place to live. Some houses need to be torn down to improve the town. I think people need to take a little more pride in their town and where they live and what's around them. There is a lot of traffic through McClure, and everyone who goes through sees all that junk and trash in front of the houses.

Wealthy greed

CONSERVATIVES CRY and moan about the progressive nature of the U.S. tax code. U.S. News and World Report, a very conservative magazine, has a cover article that can be paraphrased as "the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer." This article demonstrates that redistribution of income is occurring, but what's happening is the wealth in this country is increasingly and at an alarming rate being shifted from the lower and middle classes to the upper class. And still all the wealthy care about is more. Greed can always be rationalized.

Taxing, spending

Our governor and many of his Democratic colleagues want to raise taxes and raid the Rainy Day Fund. However, I just read that state revenue as of March 31 is $77 million ahead of last year's receipts. If this is true, why does Gov. Bob Holden want to raid the emergency fund? It's just the same old Democratic practice of tax and spend. In addition, they want to raise the fuel tax another 6 cents and the sales tax another three-eighths of a cent. Tax and spend.

Get in slow lane

You know the warm weather makes everyone a little more edgy when driving. Pay a little more attention to what's going on. You cell phoners, get over in the slower lane if you plan on having a conversation while driving. You who are not sure about your driving, usually driving slower than most, get over in the slower lane. You who have no where to go and are just riding around, get over in the slower lane. We can all make this a more uneventful summer of driving if we just use common sense.

It will never happen

David Limbaugh has declared that the PLO will never stop the bombings until it is forced to or until Israel ceases to exist. In essence, Limbaugh, a staunch supporter of Israel, is saying that Israel should be given the green light to go ahead and use whatever amount of force is necessary to put a stop to Arafat's abominations. That the United States and others will never let that happen appears to, at least in this instance, leave Limbaughism in the lurch.

Merit pay for teachers

Kudos to the deserving teachers who won Kinder cash awards for their excellence in teaching. Perhaps they can take the lead in getting the Cape Girardeau Board of Education to abandon the abominable salary schedule where teacher pay has nothing to do with performance in the classroom. Cape schools could lead the way in the adoption of merit pay.

Far too sensible

I just read the article "River Campus board backs museum plan." We are told that a 20-minute film would introduce visitors to the museum and that it will only cost $100,000. Hello, is anyone home? The university has its own marketing and public relations department and it has a mass communications department that teaches students to, among other things, produce such a film. Didn't Dr. Jim Dufek just receive an educator of the year award? Why does the university feel it necessary to spend $100,000 on a video that Dufek and his department could produce for much less. Wait, here's an idea: Why not make it a hands-on educational experience? Nah, that would make too much sense.

Feel-good project

REGARDING THE proposed skateboard park: Would the skateboarders use it, or would they continue to live dangerously by skating in the middle of Main Street? Surely a park devoted to skating cannot provide the same adrenaline rush as skating in and out of traffic and in front of cars. This is just another proposed feel-good project for a small number of users.

Taking a stand

I am curious why people always jump to criticize young people for what they think is wrong, but I haven't seen one comment complimenting the young lady who wrote the article about how she disagrees with the profanity other kids use. This article was in the Tiger newspaper, which is in the Southeast Missourian once a month. Try reading it and learn a little more about these young people and the good things they do and stand for.

In the real world

Hooray for Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. surgeon general. She lives in the real world and sees things as they are, not as we uninformed want them to be.

Urban opposition too

It is nice to know that even some of the city folks in St. Louis are also against government funding of the new Cardinal ballpark. It seems they have more than enough signatures to force a citywide vote on the issue in November. Good for them. At least we rednecks here in Southeast Missouri are not alone in fighting this insidious cronyism project.

To the caller that suggested the poor don't vote and the rich do: On what do you base this theory? How have the poor been oppressed now? The polls are open for the same amount of time to every registered voter. Anyone who is a citizen and desires to vote can. Perhaps there are some people who are so busy pushing this theory of class warfare that they don't have time to go to the polls. Stop making excuses. The people have spoken.

Really big deal

I give up. I just flat give up. With the world teetering on the brink of international anarchy and Missouri facing a budgetary crisis of magnanimous magnitude, Show Me State senators and representatives focus on the sensibility of changing the name of Southwest Missouri State University.

Monstrous mistake

I read the article on the university museum and was amused that university officials are still forging ahead with this monstrous mistake in mismanagement. Are they really squabbling over how much space should be devoted to traveling exhibits, or are they squabbling over the best way to waste more taxpayer money? The cost of the study alone would have probably solved the whole dilemma. Wake up, citizens, and rid this city of this waste.

Shrubs hide sign

If you're westbond on Bloomfield Road, shrubs hide the first stop sigh past West End Boulevard. Take a look.