Speak Out A 06/08/02

Bikers on the road

THIS IS in reply to the person complaining about bicyclists on Route W. If one of my cycling friends or I was the cyclist that would not move over, you have my apologies. We have the right to use this public highway. The highway is there for whoever wishes to use it within the rules and laws of the state. I do realize your tax dollars paid for the recreational trail, but so did mine. Our taxes also pay for the public roadways. My bicycle does not have a license. But I do have a driver's license, and with it the knowledge of what my rights and responsibilities are as a road user. The recreational trail is a very nice facility used by many people, including small children with pets and older people getting exercise. Riding a bicycle in this environment at the speeds and distances necessary for physical improvement would be both unfair and unsafe for many of these users. In short, we are all in this together. So let's try to be more patient and considerate of each others' needs.

Don't kill the goose

AFTER SEEING the cover story about how much we need new taxes, I'll have to say I haven't seen so much sympathy and tears since the last starving-children's telethon. I donated then, but I don't wish to donate further to Cape Girardeau. I'm on a fixed income and own a very average $100,000 home. I've seen my property taxes increase 100 percent since 1996. It's becoming less and less attractive to live in Cape Girardeau. They've already plucked the goose. Let's not kill it with another tax increase.

For Jackson progress

REGARDING THE Speak Out comment, "Bypass Jackson" that said "we do not want a roundabout at the courthouse in Jackson." May I ask who "we" are? I'm a lifelong resident of Jackson, and I would love to have a roundabout at the courthouse. I would love to see progress continue in our beautiful city of Jackson.

Learn to cut back

I ALMOST cried when I read about Cape's employees and their hardships. We have four fire stations in Cape. On the average they get maybe four to five calls in a 24-hour period. Training for hazard materials is usually provided by video. They could watch that instead of going to Osage and working out. You put miles on police cruisers so the officers can do nothing about the public running red lights. I don't know how many times I have watched four city employees watching one individual do a job. Have those trash collectors who get 40 hours and get off early climb on those leaky roofs and repair them. We needed a new high school. But the old high school is being remodeled. So why did we need a new high school? The public has to do without in their private lives, and we're getting sick and tired of being lied to by Cape. Learn to cut back like the rest of us.

A world of reality

TO THE parents who feel the need to supply teen-agers the forbidden fruit of alcohol: Are you also going to offer marijuana or drugs because they are the forbidden fruit also? Probably not. Why is alcohol more acceptable? I'm not so naive to realize that teens are not going to get alcohol. It's one thing to withstand peer pressure at parties, but when parents push the alcohol, that makes it even worse for kids to withstand peer pressure. If you live by example and teach the legal responsibilities and consequences of drinking when 21, they will be in a world of reality. How is handing out beer left and right at a party teaching them trust? How is having them stay overnight because they're so smashed keeping them in touch with reality? Living by example, having the respect and fear of our dad and realizing there's a legal time and place to drink also worked for my parents and their five children.

More religion, not less

I WOULD Like to make a comment about the front-page story about the Christmas decorations in Cape Girardeau. Tamara Baldwin said not to make the decorations too religious. That's what's wrong with this world. There's not enough religion.