Speak Out AA 11/10/02

Thanks for nothing

I WOULD like to thank Gov. Bob Holden and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for playing politics with our children in the Delta School District and to the Citizens Against Pollution group. Thank you for protecting our children. I was just wondering how many in your group have children attending the Delta School District. I'm so happy your group didn't exist when they built P&G or Nordenia. We definitely didn't need $300 million invested in Cape Girardeau County. The school district didn't need $10 million. The fire district didn't need $450,000. We didn't need the 250 construction jobs or the 25 permanent high-tech jobs. Once again, thank you for protecting us from all this. Maybe we can use that ground to build our new elementary school on -- if Citizens Against Pollution can lend us $10 million. Don't worry. Cape Girardeau County will continue to move right along. But it sure is going to take a lot of new restaurants to equal that $300 million that's going to another state.

Same days off, please

I REALLY wish the Cape Girardeau School District and the Jackson School District could get together and try to come up with a schedule where by next year we're off the same days. For those of us who have kids in one district and teach in the other, we're never out on the same days except for Christmas and Thanksgiving. This is just common sense and consideration for employees and students. It makes it easier with day care and a lot of other factors.

Rain brings out GOP

IT WAS a wonderful Election Day. It was raining in Missouri. We all know that, for some unexplained reason, on rainy days Republicans go vote and Democrats stay home. It's wonderful when it rains on Election Day.

Missing a big asset

IT'S A shame we're losing the people who remember the Depression. We sure are missing a big asset to us in our voting. They remember when voters gave no thought to whether somebody was a liberal or a conservative. Those were the days when "liberal" was a good word, not like it is today. Nowadays people are raised to believe that if you get a good education, you don't need a union to help you and you don't need government programs. You're strictly on your own. People having trouble -- that's their own bad luck.

Fiddling with state taxes

IT IS unclear whether the state governors have learned the fiscal lessons of the recession of the early 1990s. Most Democratic candidates for governor, for example, refused to rule out higher taxes. But during that last recession, about half the states -- led by California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York -- tried to close yawning budget gaps by enacting major tax increases. Most of those tax-increasing states had the most persistent budget woes and slowest economic coverage. The tax-cutting states had double the population growth, nearly three times the job growth and about 25 percent faster income growth than the tax-increasing states. The state that cut tax rates the most in the 1990s -- Arizona -- had a 36 percent increase in jobs. Many governors have also failed to appreciate the root cause of the current state fiscal crisis. States overspent. They didn't undertax.

Innocent civilians

MILITARY PERSONNEL make the choice to possibly end their lives with their service. It's the thousands of innocent people on the other end of your bombs who do not have choice. Innocent people do not deserve to die -- unborn babies or Iraqi civilians.

Run off existing jobs

EVERY POLITICIAN promises more jobs. I know they can't be speaking about Cape Girardeau County. We don't need jobs here. We just sent $300 million of economic development to another state. So don't promise us any more jobs. Maybe we could hire some more people in the Department of Natural Resources. That way they could run off the few plants we already have in Cape Girardeau County.

Political religion

IT TAKES gall for these so-called church members to call and solicit political votes and offer rides to the polls for a party that supports abortion. Then they go to church on Sunday, shouting "Hallelujah!" to God when really their god is a political party.

Worthwhile comment

A WORTHWHILE comment from George Washington Carver: "We shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify labor and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life."

Choosing our options

APPARENTLY, SUSAN Bundy of Jackson doesn't see the point of sending people to die in a faraway land. Which place would you rather die: in the hot desert or in the street like a dog when Saddam Hussein uses mustard gas? Which place would you rather have your sons and daughters die: in the desert fighting like an American on their feet or dying in the street on their knees while their lungs sear?

Construction-zone speed

I AM sick and tired of MoDOT's 50-mph speed limits in interstate construction zones and the new minimum $250 fine. I understand the need to slow down in construction zones for the safety of the workers. However, I do not see the need to be required to slow down two miles before the construction zone even starts or when there is no construction taking place. This is a ploy at revenue generation courtesy of MoDOT and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Honking cab drivers

I LIVE in an apartment complex that is frequented by cabs. This is not a problem during the day, but anyone who has ever seen someone picked up by a cab knows what the drivers do to get your attention. They honk. Several times I have been awakened by these guys honking repeatedly after 11 o'clock at night and before 6 o'clock in the morning. Come on, guys. Have a little respect for people who are asleep. I'm sure you would not like someone honking at your front door while you are trying to sleep.

Health care for all

HEALTH CARE is unbelievably high-priced. If you're rich you can afford it, but what about the many Americans who aren't rich? Shouldn't they have health care? And they want to spend all that money on a war.

Citizen participation

I JUST wanted to thank all those who voted in the election. You fulfilled your obligation as citizens. To those of you who didn't vote, you no longer get to complain about politics or politicians. You didn't participate. I would also like to thank Jean Carnahan. In an age where every election seems to be contested, she was dignified and graceful in her concession speech. I hope all losers can be as noble as she was.

WORKING MEN and women, look who is in the driver's seat. Hang on to your hats. It is going to be a wild and bumpy ride for the next two years.

Busing for a career

I HAVE to disagree with the person complaining about Jackson students taking so many field trips. Some of these buses are taking our sons and daughters to the career and technology center in Cape Girardeau. My daughter took careers in health training that was offered in her senior year. When she graduated this past year, she was a certified nurse's aide with a plan for her future. She works at one of Cape's finer nursing homes and plans to start nursing school within the next year.

Not too many trips

TO THE person complaining about all the extra field trips Jackson students take. My daughters go to school in Jackson. I have to sign a permission slip for my children to go on a field trip. So far this year I have signed one. That was for my daughter to walk to Pioneer Orchard for the fall party on Oct. 31 because some parents throw fits if there is a Halloween party at the school. I don't think when people move into the area they say, "Let's move to Jackson so our kids can go on more field trips."

Time for growth

REGARDING THE proposed aquatic center in Cape Girardeau: Our city is in a financial crunch because of close-minded people who refuse to allow our city to grow. Without continous growth, the only place left to go is down.

Finally, it's over

I AM thankful the election is over so the president can get back to Washington and do the job he was elected and is being paid to do. I am also thankful that there are no more ads on the TV telling me how awful someone is. But I am most thankful that I won't be getting nine phone calls in three days -- all telling me to vote for the same person.