SPEAKOUT

A tribute to the singing recruiter

I WOULD like to pay another poetic Speak Out tribute to SEMO president Dr. Dale Nitzschke. Dr. Nitzschke's endless travels abroad to attempt to recruit foreign students to come to Southeast Missouri State University are very admirable and, in my view, very necessary. His South Korean karaoke performance of "Puff the Magic Dragon" was an ingenious technique. I predict it will attract tons of curious South Korean students to come to SEMO. Now the poem. The title is "Magic Man."

Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea,

Sang the flower child SEMO prez, Cape's own Dale Nitzschke.

Dale frolicked in the Korean mist, in a land like Honah Lee.

But he wasn't just blowing smoke 'cause SEMO needs diversity.

Glasses are found and returned

A SPECIAL thank you to the person who found a pair of men's prescription glasses Wednesday morning at Wal-Mart. We want to say God bless you for turning them into the service desk. This reinforces our faith in the people of this area. Again, thank you.

SEMO students would like free tuition too

I'M A student who attends Southeast Missouri State University. I'm trying to work two jobs and go to college too. Our president is off to Japan, and he's trying to give away scholarships while students over here are working ourselves to death trying to pay our tuition. That's the way I feel about it.

Let detectives pay for new trial

SO OUR prosecutor doesn't think there should be any sanctions against the two detectives who caused a mistrial. No problem. He can just bill the Cape Girardeau County taxpayers to start this all over again. His statement that their comments were unintentional is absolutely absurd. They have both testified scores of time, and they knew exactly what they were doing. They just got caught this time. Let them pay the expenses for a new trial. They caused it.

Thanks for help with groceries

THANKS TO the lady who helped me with my groceries. I will consider her my guardian angel for the day. Thank you for Speak Out.

Thanks to paving crew on Kingsway Drive

I JUST want to thank the city paving crew for doing such an excellent job of paving Kingsway Drive. It's great.

Concern about concealed weapons

AS LONG as Americans continue their love affair with guns, more and more children will die. With the push for having concealed weapons, we can look forward with the hotheaded drivers not yelling at us but blowing us away in frustration.

Dogs don't deserve human treatment

HAS ANYONE else noticed how ridiculous people are getting about their dogs? A couple of days ago in the paper I saw where people in New York City were taking their dogs to church. Then I read an article in the personals about somebody's dog that had died. I think this is getting a little ridiculous. A lot of people don't even want to take kids to weddings or other public places. I even see where they have dog hotels now. People need to realize that they are dogs. Dogs are beasts. They're not humans, and they shouldn't be treated as human. I know they're your pets and they're your friends, but it's getting a little ridiculous. I wonder if anyone else feels this way.

Complaint about Scott County assessment

I LIVE in Scott County, and I just got a reassessment letter from our assessor. It tells me that my property has almost tripled in value since last year. I can't see that that's true. I don't have a Wal-Mart wanting to buy this property. I just don't understand these people. They want to raise our taxes. When they find they can't do that, they raise the assessment so that you get your taxes raised anyway. It's a no-win situation. But this is an election year coming up, and I plan to speak out with my ballot.

Don't forget the hidden taxes

I SAW something in Gary Rust's column which I felt needed wider distribution, and I'd like to share this with Speak Out. "Tax freedom day will arrive May 8 this year in Missouri and May 13 in Illinois. That's the day many of us stop working for the tax collector and start working for ourselves. This year the average Missourian works 127 days to pay his state, federal and local taxes. Illinoisans have to toil 132 days. The national average is 129 days. That is roughly 40 percent of your income." To which I'd like to add, there probably will be another 10 percent added on to those because of all the hidden taxes which we never see. You look on your telephone bill, your utility bill, your grocery bill -- so many taxes that are hidden on everything that you do. It adds up to maybe another 15 percent of our income going to the government. It's time to have a screeching halt for this taxation and get the people off of the socialistic practices of our modern-day government.