SPEAKOUT

If they're lying, sue them

THE NEWS keeps saying they are talking about impeaching the president for lying. When they find all those women have been lying, can they be sued by the president? I would like to see them sued.

Everybody except Bill Clinton

AFTER WATCHING this White House crisis day in and day out, it appears to me that everybody is out of step except Bill Clinton.

Paying for city streets

HAVING WATCHED the latest city council meeting on TV, I just have one thing to say. I know who paid for the street in front of my house.

Help raise funds to fight MS

CELEBRATE spring by getting some exercise walking and working for a worthy cause. The Super Safe Walk for Multiple Sclerosis will be Sunday, April 19, at the Jackson City Park. Registration is at noon, and the walk begins at 1 p.m. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling, disease that short-circuits the central nervous system. An estimated 250,000 Americans have multiple sclerosis for which there's no known cause or cure.

Disappointed over halfway house

I'M REALLY disappointed that the Gibson Center did not receive approval for the halfway house, and I'm disappointed in the people. No. 1, the convicts, as you call them, would not hurt your children. We all want a better place to live and a clean community for our children, yet something that would help rehabilitate a lost soul you voted out. If it was your son or daughter who was the alcoholic or drug abuser or convict, then would it make a difference? We all need to learn to love each other, help each other and above all, pray for each other. Remember, Jesus went to the cross to shed his blood, love and mercy for us all.

Babysitter wages would be too much

TEACHERS GET paid too much. I'm fed up with teachers and their hefty salary schedules. What we need here is a little perspective. If I had my way, I'd pay these teachers myself. I'd give them babysitting wages. That's right. Instead of paying those outrageous taxes, I'd give them $3 an hour out of my own pocket. And I'm only going to pay them for five hours, not their coffee breaks. That would be $15 a day. Each parent should pay $15 a day for these teachers to babysit their children. Even if they have more than one child, it's still cheaper than private day care. Now, how many children do they teach a day? Maybe 20. That's $15 times 20, $320 a day. But remember they only work 180 days a year. I'm not going to pay them for all those vacations. Let's see, $300 times 180 is $54,000. Just a minute, I think my calculator needs batteries.

Give rehabilitation a chance

I'M CALLING concerning the article about the halfway house being denied at the Gibson Center. From what I understand this decision was made because people were afraid their children and staff at the school next door might be attacked. I got into trouble for drugs a few years ago, and I will be the first to admit I deserved to go to prison. I paid my dues, so to speak. My point is, I had a drug problem, and I was not a violent person. Society wants people like me and a lot of others to come out of prison and lead a productive life. How can we do this if people think we're all rapists and killers? We are not. Inmates need these halfway houses to try and get their lives together, to find jobs, to get drug counseling, to reunite with their families and to adjust back to society. Give us a chance.

City should pay for streets

WHAT HAVE the people of Cape Girardeau come to that they let the city take over people's property, dig it up, cover it with concrete and let everyone in the city use it for a street and then charge the property owners for all the work. Sounds to me like you have another Saddam Hussein over there. Thank God I did not retire in Cape. You people have lost your minds. That street should be built and paid for by the city.

Superb performance at high school

CENTRAL HIGH School's production of the Broadway musical "Guys and Dolls" was outstanding and very, very interesting. Congratulations to the students and staff for a superb performance.

Cut swim team, not technology

I'M CONCERNED that Cape schools are considering eliminating the position of a technology director when computers train children for careers and they're the move of the future. Has anyone looked at the cost of the Cape swim team when it goes to St. Charles and Springfield to compete? Has anyone considered eliminating some of the sports, especially the swim team, instead of a technology director?

Schedule conflicts with holy day

I'M EXCITED that a Christian singing group, the Jars of Clay, are coming to Cape Girardeau. However, they've scheduled it on a Christian holiday, Maundy Thursday. and I'm going to have to be at church. What a dumb thing to do.

P&Z decision is questioned

I COULD not believe the Planning and Zoning Commission's decision to allow an additional floor being added to the office building at 365 William. Do we have two sets of building codes? Where were the city inspectors? I recently built a building. After trusses were in place, I had to completely redo the system. If I had made the attic larger, could I put an efficiency apartment on the third floor? No, no, no.

Cart before horse on fireworks

I CAN'T believe the VFW puts the cart before the horse likes this. In the paper there's fine article on the front page stating the exact problems that they're having, that they need help and there's a phone number to call. Someone says in the article that appeals went out every way they could think of. I just don't know if that's right or not. We read too many papers for us to have missed that. You can rest assured I will certainly call this number and see what I can do to help. This is the kind of article that needed to go in before they jumped the gun and thought the worst of their fellow citizens and just naturally assumed that no one would be willing to help and canceled the display. This is pretty backwards if you ask me. Maybe now we can get together with them and have a fireworks display after all. Maybe it will even a good one. Who knows?

Take care of junk mail yourself

I JUST came from the mailbox. I got a handful of junk mail. I didn't have any trouble getting rid of it. I just went to the wastebasket and threw it in there. I realize that it cost us money to have it delivered, but it costs us money to have laws enacted to prohibit it too. So I don't have any trouble with telemarketing either. When I realize it's telemarketing, I just hang up. And I don't need any laws to tell me to do those things which I can do myself.

Cutting AD's salary too severe

I WAS really saddened by one of the recommendations for cutting the budget at Central High School. Maybe I don't know all the details, but knocking off $19,000 of the athletic director's salary seems unduly severe. Unless the salaries of the administrators are comparably cut, it cannot justified. The man at that position today earns every penny he makes. He almost never gets a night at home, and he has to be there when athletic contests are going on. A thousand other things are required of him as well. Be fair to all, and that includes him. His years of devoted service at Central means he deserves better treatment, and the students at Central simply need him there to back them up.