Speak Out AAA 6/1/03

Need representation

DOES STATE Sen. Peter Kinder represent all Cape Girardeans or just Republicans? He spends so much time with partisan politics that he is neglecting the needs of his own constituency. Southeast Missouri State University and our two major school districts are among our largest employers, yet he has done nothing to defend state funding for public education. Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center are two other major employers. If you are a medical doctor, he has worked very hard to protect you from being sued by your patients, but he has done nothing to make medical care more available to the young, the old, the working middle class or the poor in this community. We need someone in Jefferson City who will represent us and not just promote his own political career.

High school musicals

SINCE CENTRAL High School has about three times as many students as Notre Dame Regional High School and Notre Dame is able to put on a musical-theater production every single year, you would think that Central could put on a musical-theater production once a year, maybe even twice a year. But we certainly don't need to kill the program. Let's have musical theater at Central.

Domino effect

I HATE to rain on the River Campus-led renaissance of Old Town Cape. However, if Joe Sullivan is serious about giving up on his idea of a downtown golf course, then I'm washing my hands of the proposal to make the wall by the river retractable and transparent.

No need for photo

I WANT to comment on the article that's made the front page about Kendra Swan. It's really sad the little girl went through what she did and died the way she did, and all we can do is to seem to plaster her face up on the front page. You can tell a story without having to show somebody's face. The little girl is dead. It's disrespectful and dishonorable.

Still no refund

I DON'T know if anybody else is having the problem we're having. We mailed our state income-tax return in February, and we still do not have our refund. In calling the tax people, they say they just didn't hire enough people this year, but people who have sent in returns after us has got their refunds. We have a deadline of April 15 that we have to meet, but it's all right for the state to not refund our money until Aug. 15. I think that's a pretty bad deal.

Time to economize

IT LOOKS like the people at city hall didn't get the message. People are not for increasing any kind of cost at all. You don't increase the budget when you don't have the money. You economize.

Repair streets first

THE CITY keeps promoting everything that will bring more people to our city. What we need is our streets repaired before we have more people driving on them. Maria Louise Lane has been torn up and not put back properly. That is one of the streets used for the SEMO District Fair. Let's repair the streets and then ask for more traffic.

Study hall reality

THE PHILOSOPHY "Educate the best and forget the rest" was noted in Speak Out. "The best" -- whether of rocket-scientist caliber or at-risk students -- deserve time to prepare. However, "the rest" generally lack self discipline. When given a study hall they spend time writing letters, writing or carving on desks and socializing with students. They are most likely to create problems. They choose not to bring text, papers, pen, homework and so on. When disruptive students are disciplined for behavior affecting those prepared to study, the disruptive student chooses to sleep, which ultimately leads to detention. You lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Tax cuts for parents

THE DEMOCRATS say the tax cuts are only for the rich. Guess they're the only ones who have children, huh?

Fed up with city costs

CAPE GIRARDEAU residents, it's time to stand up to our city officials. The trash and utilities fee increase is ridiculous. Under state law, the city can increase the fee every year. I'm sure this trend will continue. We defeated the fee and tax proposal in April, and we can do it again. Take action. Maybe we can cut back on employees and not raise utilities. I am fed up.

Economics 101

TO THE caller who says the rich put money in the bank: The rich seldom put money in the bank. They buy stocks when they're low enough so they think they can make money on them. It's the working people who save a little here and there who buy things we can afford on a credit card. We outspend the rich two to one. The economy gets good because you buy things you don't need. The rich pile up their money more than we do because they can afford to. We have to pay more because we can't buy in volume like the rich do. Banks, like Harry Truman said, are glad to lend you money if you prove to them you don't need it.