SPEAKOUT

Timely reminder

I JUST read Jack Stapleton's column. What a wonderful description of Depression times, which should be a warning to our population. I remember when flour was rationed. Mama made corn cakes for breakfast. We kids loved them with honey, sorghum, maple syrup and butter, all from the farm. We kids wondered what all the commotion was about. Our parents explained that everybody didn't live on a farm where we got most of our food. I got interested about a year ago in the amount of food which is being handed out now by churches. Thank you, Mr. Stapleton. I hope our citizens will take your article "From depression to digital in just one lifetime" as a warning. They should take a look at their income, spending and debts.

Puzzling party

I AM pleased as punch with Carol Poole for publicly proclaiming she would never take methamphetamine. I wish all people would take Poole's advice. However, I am still perplexed by Poole's adherence to the Libertarian Party, a party which stands for repealing all of the laws against taking meth, heroin, smoking marijuana and so forth. It also would do away with laws against prostitution. Why Poole would promote a political party so alien to her principles is puzzling beyond words.

A lot of yammering

THIS ELECTION cycle has been intensely disheartening. Since the beginning of the national conventions I've been getting up an hour or more earlier each morning to watch C-SPAN, Fox News, hard-core political news programs on other stations before work, and I devote much of my evening to the same. I scour the newspapers daily for information, listen to political talk radio, whether liberal or conservative, whenever I can find such a program in my car. Starting with the biased reporting during the conventions and continuing through recent yammering on the word "Rats" shown in a commercial, I've become increasingly disgusted with the typical American. Reading Speak Out over the last week, the overwhelming ignorance of many callers is almost palpable. Note: ignorance, not stupidity. Many politicians and lately nearly all Democrats are saying things which any informed citizen would find ridiculous. Al Gore's social spending proposals would spend all of the most optimistically forecasted budget surpluses and then some. His plans will cost an additional $4.3 to $4.8 trillion over the next 10 years. Many Americans are falling for this nonsense, distortion, spin and often outright lies from the left. Sure, the right does some goofy, dishonest things too. However, not with the same fervor, audaciousness and regularity the Democrats are this year. If the voting public falls for the Democrats' nonsense this year, say goodbye to prosperity and freedom.

Fund streets first

I HAVE to speak out. Did I read this right? $190,000 for a mural on a wall? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Spend money on other things like the roads. Try driving on West End Boulevard south to the Independence intersection by Campus Tire. It will tear your car apart. I have to go around this intersection because I can't even drive on it. And the new street repairs are bad. It'll have to be done over. The streets to the nice subdivisions are great, big and wide and well-made. The ones in the city are awful. Figure that one out.

Get ready to pay

HEY, SENIOR citizens, do you remember when Clinton and Gore raised taxes in 1993 on your Social Security income? It was the biggest tax increase in history. How do you think Gore's going to pay for his socialistic prescription program? Hold on to your pocketbooks, seniors. At least with Bush's plan you'll get your taxes lowered so you'll have the money to choose which plan you want. If you elect Al Gore, get ready to pay.