Speak Out A 11/22/01

Big assessments

DUE TO a recent increase in my tax assessment, I've become very discouraged with our county government. I live in a house that I bought 50 years ago. I raised my children in it and hope to die here. But because of a huge increase in taxes, I've begun to be upset, depressed and thoroughly disgusted with our tax system. What are we senior citizens on fixed incomes supposed to do? Sell? Take a mortgage? Borrow to pay the heavy property tax? Or take a reverse mortgage? If you do any of these things, unscrupulous people will take advantage of you. To assess you, the county pulls a figure out of a hat. My Social Security increase is about 2.6 percent. But the county assessments are any amount the officials happen to want. Has our county government become a dictatorship? One begins to wonder when citizens complain about the incredible increase in taxes. But the county government doesn't care. Neither do some of our state representatives.

Appalled by secrets

IS ANYONE else appalled by the recent "Victoria's Secret" show that aired on ABC? Not only was it near pornography, but it aired at 8 p.m. I cannot fathom how we got to this point. Women, how are you ever going to be considered equal if you continue to be viewed as sex objects? Men, in a society that already has too much sex in it, why would you allow this into your homes?

Rare commodity

I THINK the Florida ballot was confusing by design and purpose. Ted Kennedy is one of the few intelligent choices these days. I don't expect most in Hee-Haw Land to appreciate his intellect, a rare commodity in these parts.

It's all about reading

BARB DIRNBERGER'S comments about children loving Harry Potter more than Jesus Christ are about the dumbest things I've read in a long time. If your child has a stronger relationship with a fictional character in literature than with Jesus, then the problem lies with the guidance of the parents and the church, not the writer of a book. Praise J.K. Rowling for writing books that draw children to the wonderful world of reading. Perhaps the next book that the children will choose to read on their own will be the Bible.

Eerie -- just like us

LEAVE CAPE'S Christmas lights dirty. If they're left that way, they give off an eerie, surreal glow and correspond with the true nature of our community.

Easy-to-get drugs

AUTOMATED DRUG dispensers, similar to bank ATMs, are an answer to our prayers and are likely opposed almost exclusively by anti-technology luddites.

Smell of late fall

I CONSIDER the smell of burning leaves the late-fall quintessence of Cape Girardeau -- its defining characteristic, if you will. Please leave leaf burners alone.

Real eye-opener

I INITIALLY thought the Southeast Missourian editorial staff had undergone a sea change of opinion more shocking than the shift of attitudes contributing to the fall of the Soviet Union. However, I was wrong. That's what I get for starting to read the paper prior to being fully awake and before my eyes are in full focus. You see, I read your editorial headline, "Cape County tax could be a lot higher," and thought that instead of the word "could" you had written the word "should." Now that would be an eye-opener.

Thanks to weights

HOW DID the Jackson Indian football team go toe-to-toe with a Hazelwood East team that is ranked No. 20 in USA Today? Because it had the horses upfront that hit the weights in the off-season. Mario Whitney is a great athlete, no doubt. But he would not have had the career he's had at Jackson without the big boys upfront. True dedication, not just lip service, and sacrifice in the weight room helped Jackson to a tremendous season. Well done, Jackson players and coaches. You have nothing to hang your heads about.