Speak Out B 5/22/03

A proud Army wife

I'M A wife of a reservist with the 389th Engineering Battalion. I am so very proud of my husband and all the other men who are over there with him. When something like this happens, it is great that there is such a great support system. There are so many places you can go for help. I am proud to be a wife of an Army man. I wish everyone the best and hope they all come home safe and soon.

Not customer friendly

IN RESPONSE to the article "Banks will ask customers to take off hats, hoods": This won't stop a thing. It's just another scam to create another job at the bank and increase banking charges. It is just another way to say we do not want you in our bank.

Counting photos

I WAS disappointed with the photo coverage of Jackson High School's prom this year on the Southeast Missourian's Web site. I expected there to be a bigger variety of photos. Jackson is a much larger school than Scott City, and Scott City had more photos. What's up with that? I thought it was a poor job for this year's students.

Holding the bag

THOUGH DIFFICULT to see through all of the spinning, smoke and mirrors and propaganda, it is possible. When one breaks through these barriers, it becomes crystal clear that the only difference between a Republican and Democrat-controlled General Assembly is that the legislature is run by different special-interest groups. As usual, the already browbeaten, hapless, ordinary people are left holding the bag.

Downtown beauty spot

THE MARQUETTE Hotel looks much better and beautifies downtown Cape Girardeau. Thanks go to Gov. Bob Holden and all the people who made this renovation possible.

Worried about warnings

STORM SIRENS should at least be considered in Cape Girardeau. If the electricity goes out, you may not have a working battery-operated radio.

American-made clothes

I CAN'T believe a caller has trouble finding clothes made in America. Stores are loaded with clothes made in America -- mostly in Mexico.

Teaching economics

I QUESTION the caller who claimed to have taken a college class in economics and favors a tax cut for the rich because he was taught such a thing would help the poor. As far as I know, university economics teachers all favor confiscatory taxation of the rich and total redistribution of the wealth.

Beautiful to behold

U.S. REP. Jo Ann Emerson's bold move to take on the big pharmaceutical companies and try to get lower prescription drug costs for U.S. residents is beautiful to behold. The pitifully weak arguments the pharmaceutical industry puts forth to try to counter her legislation is unctuous, if not downright un-American.

Look for common ground

PLEASE DON'T count me as one of those who will be boo-hooing after learning that Terry Hester has left KZIM"s morning talk show. It was just a little much hearing him and Faune Riggins daily bash the Democrats and blame them for all the wrong in our nation. The Clinton years saw dramatic decreases in poverty levels in our nation. Now more people are unemployed, factories are shutting down, health-care coverage for 43 million people is non-existent. I hope KZIM will replace Hester with a more moderate person who will not be so biased but will try to bridge public opinions looking for common ground.

It's junk, not art

REGARDING THE art display in Scott City: I enjoy art, but what we have displayed on the side of the building in Illmo is not art. It is junk hung on the side of a wall. It does not enhance the beauty of our little town. It looks ridiculous.

Pleasant experience

I JUST wanted to comment on a most pleasant experience I had. It was driver's license renewal time, which is not the most fun thing to do. However, the young woman at the license bureau was so nice and friendly. She had us all laughing and joking. All the women at the license bureau must be hired for their pleasant personalities. It makes an unwanted chore much nicer.

It won't work this time

CALL IT what you like: voodoo economics, trickle down, supply side. It has been tried, and it doesn't work. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer. Deficits balloon. Inflation takes off. No seriously respected economist supports this ideologically based approach to the economy. President Bush's tax cuts didn't help last time. What makes you think more tax cuts will do anything this time?

Costly special session

GOV. BOB Holden may veto the budget, but the Republicans can override his veto and send him the message that they're in charge. I hope the governor realizes that it costs more than $98,000 a week to call a special session. I bet if those elected officials had to pay that out of their own pockets, we'd have a real quick session.

Education compromise

HOW ABOUT a compromise on the cuts in state education funding? Restore the spending cuts but divert the money to much needed vouchers and tax credits for those who attend private and parochial schools.

Mulling it over

So mullets are back.

Well, I don't care.

Maybe I would

If I had hair.

More action needed

I BELIEVE the woman who had the topless picture of herself on the laptop deserves to be fired too. I think our Jackson Fire Department can be better than this.

Need strong action

NO, WE don't need a Republican governor. We need a Democratic legislature to go with the Democratic governor. We need a good strong legislature that's for the working man in this state, that's for building the unemployment insurance upward and is also for building a Missouri health-care plan up. Inner cities need help. They're in trouble. The farmers are in trouble.

Make them pay

THOSE LEGISLATIVE Democrat deserters in Texas should have been expelled from the legislature. Horse play is not what they were elected to do. They were elected to do the state's business. Their betrayal was a mockery of democracy, and there should be a penalty for such antics.

Just can't afford it

SOME OF us just simply cannot afford more taxes, and we would think that our mayor and city council would take this into consideration.

Try staying home

THE Speak Out comment about noise and staying out of trouble in the Jackson park said kids need someplace to stay. What about home? That's where kids should be most of the time. They shouldn't be roaming around and ganging up. Where are the parents?

Seeing is believing

BEING FROM Jackson, I'm a little embarrassed by a couple of Speak Out callers who seem offended because motorists want to see the storm damage. One caller suggested if you didn't volunteer to help clean up, you shouldn't be driving around and looking. From what I can see, Jackson had plenty of volunteers. Seeing first hand is believing, Then you're more willing to help out.

It's all political

ANYONE WHO has a concern about Social Security should read Bruce Williams' column about the Social Security Act and how it has been expanded and expanded and expanded. That's what is breaking Social Security. It's not the people who pay into it or draw from it. It's all the add-ons of politicians have done to buy votes.