Speak Out A 06/10/02

If you build it ...

I HAVE a good recommendation for the university. Instead of building a performing arts center, maybe it would like to build a ball diamond for the baseball team. By the time the Indians get done playing baseball on Capaha Field, it's not fit for the summer leagues to play on.

City budgeting

I'M READING about the city council and the city budget. One thing that I think is poor business -- but it seems that all government entities do this -- is the city bases its spending on projected income instead of income received in the past and likely to continue. This is where every government gets into problems at times. If the city is going to add new programs, it should look to see programs it can cut out. This is something you almost never see happen unless a program has a sunset clause. These programs go on forever.

Does not compute

IT WAS nice to read an article by Marty Mishow in which, for once, he didn't gush over Southeast Missouri State University sports program or their coaches. It seems he's probably a little too close to the coaches to write objectively. But this time he didn't do too bad. However, he's got a sentence here that makes no sense at all: "Before Holcomb was hired eight years ago, no baseball team won more than 30 games in a season and that happened only once." If it never happened, how can it happen only once?

Purcell is right

I WOULD just like to express my feelings about the city council meeting. It's very obvious to me and to most taxpaying citizens of Cape Girardeau that Jay Purcell is the only one who knows anything about running city government. First of all, if you ran your personal accounts like your city voted to do on the new budget, then you would be broke and the bank would come get your home and you'd claim bankruptcy. Purcell was the only one who showed any intestinal fortitude for what's right and not overspending what you have coming in. You can't spend thinking you might get something in at a later date. My hat's off to Purcell. I'm really sorry the rest of the council is setting this type of precedent in their voting. I am just really sad to think what's going to happen to this city down the road when the money doesn't come in and the city keeps overspending. Then they'll want more taxes. In my opinion, they're not going to get more taxes from the citizens of this town.

Weeds block view

THIS MESSAGE is directed to our city manager: Mike Miller. Please find out why city employees are not taking care of the weed and grass problems at the main intersection of Perryville Road and Lexington Road. The weeds and grass are at least four feet tall right up to the corner where you can't even see to turn on either road.

Make it deeper

NOW THAT the Mississippi is dropping to below flood stage, it is time to realize what is causing the many floods. The channelization of the Mississippi is the cause of the increase in the frequency of flooding. The only two viable answers to reduce flooding are to raise the levee walls and bridges or to lower the river. This would seem to me to be the profitable action as only a portion of the river has a rock bottom that would require blasting to remove the stone necessary to facilitate the lowering of the shipping channel and thereby to greater reduce the flooding. This would not require the raising of levees, floodwalls and bridges. Once the shipping channel has been lowered, the channel would be self-flushing and would lower the need for dredging. Either we take drastic action, or we have large floods every few years, and I don't think we want those.

Language lesson

I'M FAIRLY well-educated but could somebody tell me: How does one "go missing"? You either are missing or you're not. I thought people were better educated than that. But I've been hearing that phrase. It baffles me. It's so wrong.

Making choices

I DON'T doubt that Cape Girardeau faces budget shortfalls every day. I don't doubt that they find areas where they can use money every day. Such is the case with private citizens and organizations as well. If photographs of firefighters using duct tape on rips in their truck seats and city workers working on tractors outside is meant to create sympathy with me as a taxpayer, I'm afraid it simply won't work. I do these types of things and make these types of choices on a daily basis. I fail to understand the thinking that the city worker and the city itself should be not able to make similar choices.

Cheap food supply

THERE HAVE been a lot of negative comments about farm subsidies. Farm prices are so low that many small farmers wouldn't make it without help. Americans have the best food supply in the world. We spend 11 cents of each dollar of our paychecks for food. The nearest to that is Germany, where it costs 23 cents out of every dollar of pay for their food. So let's be thankful for our cheap and plentiful food supply.

Cheaper alternative

IT'S DANGEROUS for the city to use fire trucks to make emergency calls for health reasons. There's a danger of wrecking this expensive equipment. It also puts miles on the trucks, and they're expensive to operate. How about using a van and equip it to take care of these emergencies? It would be a lot cheaper to operate and a lot safer for the public, a lot safer for the firemen and less wear and tear on the equipment they've got now.

The British lesson

I AGREE with Robert Cron's recent letter, "English model doesn't work well for gun control." In the letter Cron points out that the examples of gun control in effect in England proved very little in the way of justification for gun control in America. I would add that if it were not for private gun ownership during the Revolutionary War, we would never have run the British out of Boston's harbor. Perhaps it is the lessons learned about private gun ownership in America that the British learned during their colonial times that have prompted them to enforce such strict gun control standards on their own citizens in the hope that they can perpetuate their tyranny on their own people at home.

Read the legislation

I WONDER how many people realize that 90 percent of the time our state legislators have no idea what they were doing because they don't read the legislation they vote on. I think it's time we either get these people educated that that's not the way to work or get rid of them. We can't afford to have people who vote to spend money and have no idea what they're talking about.

Thoughts on CVB

I SEE that our mayor is suggesting that the Convention and Visitors Bureau should be put back in the hands of the chamber of commerce. When the chamber had the CVB, it didn't accomplish anything. As a city department, the CVB has accomplished quite a bit over the last few years. The mayor said the CVB should be in the hands of the experts. These are the same experts who are supposed to get business and industry to come to Cape Girardeau. But city revenue is flat because taxes have not increased in Cape Girardeau because business growth is flat. How can the chamber be the experts if it is part of the problem? The CVB currently is funded with revenue from the restaurant tax. It has brought in thousands of dollars in business to Cape by getting extra tourism. One great success was the Hog Rally.

More drug problems

THERE'S ALSO a big drug problem from the 400 block to the 800 block of North Spanish. The police have been called, but they don't even show up.

Life of luxury

SO NOW you printed it. Gordonville is the enclave of the wealthy. While we've been arguing about how to pay for the River Campus, they've been living in a life of luxury. Why didn't we know about this?

I WAS reading Larry Cleair's letter on bicyclists and motorists and acting responsibly. In this day and age when there's a lot more traffic on the roadways -- and the roads aren't that wide anyway, to have a bicyclist try to compete for the same road space as a vehicle that must be licensed doesn't make sense. As a taxpayer, I don't see my money being spent very well. We need some sort of bicycle lane or trail along side the roadways. It's very dangerous down by Scivally Park. Also, bicyclists do not wear colored clothing adequate for after-dark riding.

The last to know

I AM calling about the situation at SEMO. I believe the amount of misinformation, rumors and lies being passed around at SEMO is an insult to the hundreds of loyal employees who work there. The administration is refusing to answer questions in a forthright manner, and the employees are tired of being the last to know information that directly affects their jobs. Thank goodness we at least have the Missourian in which we can find out some of the things that are happening, because the higher-ups are incapable of being honest with those whom they purport to lead. There is no leadership by example at SEMO. It is a secret society, and the employees are going to be the victims of their bureaucracy.

Something good

Here's a good thought:Only one roundabout so far.