Speak Out A 06/03/04

Entertaining teachers

IN NIRVANA'S classic "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Kurt Kobain said of young people that many in school had as an attitude: "Here we are now, entertain us." Teachers would be well-served to remember that in large part they are in the entertainment business.

Telephone scams

SENIORS BEWARE. The telephone crooks are still out there. As has been stated many times before, never give your credit card number, Social Security number or bank account number to anyone who calls you and asks for it. No legitimate company will ever ask for this information, so the alarm should automatically come on if you receive such a request. Do not argue with the caller, just hang up. Your best way to have control of the situation is to immediately hang up. Know in advance that the crooks have a script with all the right things to say and are experts at scamming those who are hesitant to hang up. If you are not registered with the no-call program, perhaps you should be.

More cuts in Jackson

I KEEP hearing that the Jackson School District is again not replacing some teaching positions. Last year the district cut 17 positions. We keep reading and hearing how large the class sizes are becoming, yet the district is still cutting teachers. How many administrative positions have been cut? Over the past two years I have not heard of one administrator being cut. Maybe the district should combine some top positions and move those folks back to the classroom to help.

Pay issues

SAY A trash man is hit by a car and injured while doing the third most dangerous job in the country. Whom do you want to come help? Due to the current pay and equipment, who knows if the fire department can make it. The police would love to help, but they also have left town in search for better pay. I am not saying that the public works department does not deserve better pay, I think we all do if we do a good job. The issue is this: Do the police and firefighters? I think they do.

Please vote yes

I ENCOURAGE Cape Girar-deau voters to support the proposed sales-tax increase.

Slow reconnection

I CAN'T believe the poor response we continue to get from our utility companies. I'm aware that my neighborhood was not the only one left in the dark during the storm, but it should not have taken the time it did to get the power back on. After the power went out I called the electric company and I explained to them I used a nebulizer every three hours. The woman on the phone said that the utility company expected to have the problem fixed by 3:45 a.m. Sunday. We went until 1 a.m. Monday. Now we have to replace most of the food that defrosted in both our freezers. I would like to know why our street, Oak Hills Drive, and the other streets around here are always the last ones to get any kind of attention.