SPEAKOUT

Economy isn't great for everyone

THE ECONOMY is so great? No. 1, the Dow is the lowest in three months. What about the people who had money in there for retirement? No. 2, the interest rates are the lowest they've been in years. What about the senior citizens who depend on interest rates of CDs for supplemental income? Social Security won't do it. No. 3, the farm prices are lowest in years. I received $2.65 a bushel for wheat. Also, I bought a box of 100 percent wheat bran cereal at the store. It cost me $3.50 a pop. Will the prices in the stores go down? I don't think so. The poor farmers. How can they stay in farming at these low prices? People in town, I believe, don't realize the cost of machinery, seed and fertilizer. We will see a lot of farmers getting out this fall.

Proud of voting for Ross Perot

YOUR EDITORIAL, "Money still talks but doesn't always win," prompted me to call. It's a tired and proven point of view. The news media refused to sell Ross Perot time to buy commercials in the last election, and he couldn't spend his money. And the Democrats and Republicans refused to let him in the debate. I would much rather vote for Steve Forbes or Ross Perot who use a great deal of their money than for crooked politicians who beg, borrow and launder money from big businesses and rich tycoons and foreign communist countries who then expect and get tax favors and special laws that benefit a very exclusive portion of America's population, which does not include the taxpayers who foot the bill. Bob Dole registered as an agent for a foreign government, Taiwan. And Bill Clinton took money from the Communist Chinese. I voted for Ross Perot, and to this day I'm still proud of who I voted for. Honestly, are you proud of who you voted for?

Workers need skills for good jobs

THIS IS to the party complaining about all the help wanted ads calling for trained and skilled workers. You are right. An unskilled worker will not get a good-paying job. Why should an employer to pay top wages to someone not qualified to do a good job? Doesn't this tell you something? If you are in school still, apply yourself and learn and prepare. If you're out of school, sign up for adult education and get some skills. It's entirely up to you.

Judges would make a fine pair

THE JUDGE here that coddles child molesters, he and this judge in Massachusetts who let the baby killer go, boy, they'd make a nice pair. I'm sure that both we and Massachusetts feel the same way. They're something we can do without. One apparently considers the welfare of the guilty and does not consider the victims and the family of the victims. So I think that we could get rid of one, but Massachusetts is stuck because their judges are not elected.

Running against Clinton in 2000?

MR. POTATO Head, the former vice president, Dan Quayle, he goofed again. He said the Republicans need a candidate to defeat Bill Clinton in 2000. Well, you and I know that Bill Clinton is no eligible to run, he's already had his two terms. It appears to me that maybe it's a Republican fact that they'll still be running against Bill Clinton in 2000. They won't be facing a new candidate. What they'll be doing, whoever their candidate is, is running against Bill Clinton. It's a shame President Clinton can't run again, because I think he would probably win again. He has a certain gift, and he's one of the greatest since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Serving the needs of the less fortunate

ARE THE citizens of Cape Girardeau going to allow big-money interests to keep us from serving the needs of the less fortunate? The failure of the bus line in Cape in 1969 was almost 30 years ago. What is the real reason we don't serve the people?

Serve ice cream at band concerts

I'M CALLING to compliment the Municipal Band. Its programs are excellent. I'm wondering if any of the churches or service organizations had considered doing an ice cream social each Wednesday as a way of raising money and also bringing more interest to the production in the park?

Deputy puts his life at risk

IT IS very unfortunate that several people have recently taken uninformed potshots at the Cape Girardeau County sheriff's deputy whose vehicle was hit by the train in Jackson. I'm sure that everyone reading this paper has at least had a close call when driving when his attention was momentarily diverted. That is why they are called accidents. The deputy involved is in fact a very bright and intelligent individual who puts his life at risk for Cape Girardeau County citizens every day. There is no need for self-righteous name calling, especially when based on such little information. It sounds to me like someone who has found themselves on the wrong side of the law before is just glad to see something unfortunate happen to a deputy.

Deputies have good and bad days

THIS IS in response to the caller who commented about the sheriff's deputy involved in an accident with the train in Jackson. I was stunned to read such an unprovoked attack on someone you apparently don't even know. I am personally acquainted with the man involved, and a finer person or sheriff's deputy would be difficult to find. To call someone involved in an unfortunate accident stupid sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. An accident is just that: an accident. Whether you are a doctor, lawyer, store clerk or garbage man, all it takes is a moment of confusion or inattention, not any kind of intelligence level, to be involved in a traffic accident. Sheriff's deputies are human just as the rest of us. They have good days and bad days and feel joy and pain just like the rest of us, maybe even more so because of their job. As far as the law enforcement agencies circling their wagons, his name was published. He was issued a summons and will pay the consequences just like the rest of us. And just so you can keep your facts straight, the deputy was struck by a train, just a little excursion trolley. We're just grateful he was not seriously injured or killed.