Speak Out A 12/15/01

Careless caretakers

GOD CONSIDERED man the greatest of his creations, so he made man the caretaker of the world. Look at the trash in yards, alleys, streets and parks. I wonder what God thinks of his caretakers.

Leave tuition alone

I AM a graduate of SEMO. I have now retired and would like to continue my education. But I feel that I can't if we keep raising tuition. I'm on a fixed income and feel that it is too pricey as is. Please leave it alone.

The circle test

LET'S MAKE the roundabout part of the driving test for people in Cape. If you can't drive around it without hitting the curbs, then you flunk your driving test, and we get rid of all the idiot drivers in town.

Wavering on Ashcroft

I STILL support Attorney General John Ashcroft's unmerciful assault on civil liberties as necessary for national security. However, after comparing Tom Eagleton's eloquent critique of Ashcroft's excesses with David Limbaugh's predictable, toeing-the-party-line, pro-Ashcroft propaganda piece, I'm starting to waver.

VA prescriptions

I'M NOT too happy with President Bush right now. He says he is going to help us, but every time I turn around, people on set incomes seem to get hurt. My husband, who is a veteran, is on 21 different medications. Our president, who is supposed to help veterans, is raising the cost of VA drugs by $5 for each prescription. That means my husband will have to pay over $100 more a month. It's going to be tough on us, but what about those poor guys who make less than he does? I wish somebody could tell me why the Republicans always get in the pockets of low-income people.

Tipping education

TO THOSE of you who tip according to the quality of your meal and for the quality of the service you received, this does not apply to you. This comment applies to the many diners who frequent the area's full-service restaurant's and leave no tip or a dollar on an expensive check. Most tipped employees make $2.13 per hour. The rest of our income depends on the tips we receive. That's why most of us try hard to please. We want to make money. A few basic guidelines: Tip 15 percent of the guest check if the service is standard. If the service is excellent, tip accordingly. We have to pay taxes based on our daily sales. There are times we have to claim more taxable income than what we take home just so we don't have to pay penalties at income-tax time. The next time you visit a restaurant that requires tipping, think about these things. Tipping etiquette can be looked up online if you need more info. And for those of you who just don't want to tip or swear you can't afford a tip but can afford the $50 meal, there are plenty of other restaurants in the area that don't require tipping.

Real problems

I'M REALLY getting really sick of hearing about the Harry Potter stuff. I've got bigger fish to fry. I've had a falling out with my daughter, and she's living somewhere that I don't approve of. They don't even give her messages when I call over there. It's like she doesn't even appreciate the life that she used to have. She never had any worries or wants or needs. She lived a pretty unscathed life. Christmas isn't like it's been, and I don't even want to have Christmas anymore or Thanksgiving. She's dating somebody I do not approve of, and she's really hurt my feelings. She'd rather spend time with someone else except the woman who walked the floor with her and put nice clothes on her back. She had a good life, went to private schools, had food to eat and a roof over her head. My husband and I worked hard to provide for her, and it's like a slap in the face. I just wish the holidays wouldn't even come. I hate the holidays. I'm depressed all the time. All I do is eat. I'm fat, and I don't care.

Christmas wish

SANTA CLAUS, please bring my husband home for Christmas.

At their own risk

IT'S RIDICULOUS that the two freed American girls want to go back to Afghanistan after they take a vacation. We have no idea how much money was spent trying to save their lives. If they want to go back and take that chance again, they should be on their own. The government should not have to get them out again.

Salaries come first

WHAT AN outrage. It appears that our Congress can only be bipartisan on one item: salary increases. What a shame to give themselves almost $5,000-a-year raise without any action on a stimulus for the economy or other very important things.

Assessing questions

THIS IS probably a little late, but I was wondering about the property tax assessments. With inflation pretty well flat and the older neighborhoods degrading, I was just wondering how they can keep assessing our houses at higher and higher rates. We haven't made any improvements. Our neighborhood is going down rapidly. Yet our assessment keeps going up, as well as the taxes. I just don't understand this. Maybe an assessor can explain.

Typical reaction

THE TYPICAL person who despises corporations' receiving a tax break or less red tape more than likely has a poor education, worships a political party, has few or no skills, is in a union where his pay is just above minimum wage, has very little ambition and is constantly griping about his problems which he claims are everyone's fault but his own.

Some basic math

LISTEN UP, teachers of junior high and high school students: If you do not teach your students anything else before you break for Christmas vacation, teach them how to make change and count money. Retail and restaurant checkouts have been a real eye-opener. Basic math has been lost. Parents, help your child.

Vote on raises

HOW CAN our U.S. representatives and senators give themselves a 3.4 percent raise? I think they are thinking of themselves more than our boys fighting for our way of life. They are rewarded by a 2.9 percent cost-of-living increase. I think all these raises should be voted on by he people.