Speak Out A 05/29/03

Mural at Franklin school

WHAT A great addition to the Cape Girardeau murals is the wonderful artwork in the Jefferson Elementary School cafeteria. If you haven't seen this wonderful work, you ought to go see it. We need more projects like this in other schools. Keep up the great work, Mr. Horrell. Your mural is a great inspiration to the children. Thank you.

Think for yourselves

THIS PAST week, Congress voted to cut taxes again. It's obvious that this vote was not about the tax bill at all. It might as well have been a roll call for what party you were affiliated with. They could have been voting for anything. Can these politicians not think for themselves? What good does it do to vote people into office if they are not going to use their position to make changes that are truly in the public's best interest? Being a politician shouldn't be about being a Republican or a Democrat. It should be about doing what is best for all American citizens. To all politicians, no matter what party you are affiliated with: Clear the cobwebs out of your heads and try to actually think for yourselves.

The will of the people

BY CALLING for a special session of the Missouri General Assembly, courageous Gov. Bob Holden is going all out trying to keep the will of ordinary people from being completely subverted by legislators. However, there's only so much he can do. If recalcitrant Republican legislators are unwilling to compromise on some issues, the Show Me State as we have come to know and love it may not survive.

Dollars from Dale

Dr. Dale is a hired gun.

He gets SEMO lots of dough.

Because he likes to have some fun

He live in Ohio.

His work keeps him on the run.

He's always on the go.

For the press, his comments? None.

Reporter: "Is Dale in?" "No."

Try to get along

SOME PEOPLE complain about everything. They complain about school getting out early, then they complain about it getting out late. They complain about the governor, then the legislators. In the words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"

Downtown hotel

NO ONE really knows when the first new hotel will be built in downtown Cape Girardeau. But those of us who are working to create an arts and entertainment district in Old Town Cape know that it will stay filled to capacity. We have over 20 clubs and restaurants with a variety of cuisine and live entertainment to choose from. Want to take a poll? Go to the motels on the west side of town during lunch and dinner and ask the overnight businessmen and women if they would patronize a downtown hotel. I have results from this kind of poll. The answer is very often yes.

Another tax cut

TRICKLE DOWN, Reagan-omics, supply side -- whatever label you want to put on it -- caused the economic boom of the 1990s. Some people just don't understand that the rich, powerful corporations that supply jobs and benefits are getting killed by our current tax system, which trickles down to the working man. Pass another tax cut like Reagan did in 1986, and you'll see another economic boom like you saw in the 1990s. Stick to your guns, President Bush. Another president might try to take credit for it, but we will know who championed us.

Education philosophy

BELIEVE IT or not, there is an educational philosophy that provides a rationale for Central High School's provision of study halls for those who need it least (the outstanding students) and making it generally unavailable to those who need it the most (the vast majority). This philosophy can be summed up in one sentence: Educate the best and forget the rest.