SPEAKOUT

It's not just a matter of cost

WHEN I read the article about the local docs wanting their own surgical center, I had to laugh at their reasons. It's not the cost of regular hospital outpatient surgery that's sending orthopedic patients to places like Missouri Bone and Joint Center and U.S. Center for Sports Medicine. It's strictly the poor quality of ortho surgery results here that sends people to St. Louis. When a patient goes to St. Louis, his outpatient surgery is done in a regular hospital. Low cost alone won't bring patients back.

Look at doctors's fees and skills

I READ with considerable interest the interviews with the hospitals and investor doctors regarding the proposed surgery center. I noted the largest group of investors were from the local orthopedic group. Their story was to be more competitive in cost and keep business in the area instead of St. Louis. Don't they get it? Are their egos so big with talent so low? Surgery business and particularly orthopedic isn't leaving Southeast Missouri for St. Louis because of hospital bills and orthopedic charges. It's the doctor's charge and skill level. Look inward.

Missourians need Planned Parenthood

REGARDING SUNDAY'S editorial concerning Planned Parenthood: The question isn't why Gov. Carnahan vetoed the partial-birth abortion bill. The question is why do our legislators keep trying to push it through? Not one person has come forward with a single example of a partial-birth abortion in our state in recent history. Doctors refuse to perform this procedure. So what's the point of the law? Is it to stymie the efforts of Planned Parenthood to help the poor women of this state find health care and birth-control options? The editors of this paper do a great disservice to the public with incendiary editorials of this nature. Missouri women need the education services that Planned Parenthood provides. Otherwise, they'll just end up on the welfare list that the same legislators are trying to cut.

Support for reader's theater

I'M CALLING in regard to the Speak Out comment criticizing the Arts Council's planned theater class. I'd just like to say that theater requires only a player, a passion, a platform and an audience. Lights, sets, costumes and sound, while they are wonderful aids to the audience's imagination, are not an essential part to theater. Many forms of theater do completely without them. Nor is reader's theater only about something call articulation. That word for informed theater people implies or suggests the kind of physical skills which support good vocal delivery and good diction. Reader's theater is a fine way to give many students an opportunity to perform without the expense of mounting a so-called full production. If the point is to get kids performing, reader's theater is a fine way to do it.

The investigation is over

A PERSON claiming to be a skeptic recently said in Speak Out that it was hard to believe state Rep. Gene Copeland wasn't guilty. Guilty of what? Don't you read state Sen. Peter Kinder's column? He told us in very plain language that the investigation in voter fraud in Mississippi County had absolutely nothing to do with his friend Gene Copeland. Get off of it and get over it.

New subdivision needs monitoring

I SEE that development has begun on the next phase of Fairway Estates in Jackson. I only hope that this project is being monitored by Jackson city inspectors. I heard there are springs in that area, and the city administrator was given pictures as proof of this. There's a lot of dirt being hauled in this area. It's our tax dollars to correct this mess if this is the case.

Personal attacks don't resolve issues

IF EVEN some of what Professor Journet warns us about proves to be at all well-founded, any sane and responsible person will surely want, at the very least, to consider Alan's warnings and cautions. Otherwise, the caller who invited him to relocate to Costa Rica may well be, as the caller said, barfing regularly on poisoned water, air and food. Surely anyone with eyes to see can step outside of political posture and ideology, take an honest, open look at what we're doing to ourselves and work for positive change. Ad hominen attacks on Dr. Alan Journet, on the other hand, do nothing to clarify the genuine issues folks like Dr. Journet wish to address.

Scientific study may be needed

WELL, I love Joe Sullivan's column about the positive correlation between milking cows and calls to Speak Out. I just wanted to see if anyone is interested in doing a science project to see if they really are correlated. Thanks for letting me read an enjoyable column.

Baseball makes a believer

I WOULD like to make an open and public Speak Out apology to Donn Miller of Tamms, Ill. Earlier in the season, Miller had several suggestions for changing major league baseball rules so as to cut down on the intentional walks given St. Louis slugger Mark McGwire. I responded by calling Speak Out and sarcastically suggesting Miller stick to disseminating communist propaganda. However, as the season has worn on and the number of walks given McGwire has mounted, I now realize the wisdom of Miller's suggestions. If anything, I am now willing to go further and offer for consideration a rulebook change banning from baseball forever any pitcher who walks McGwire for any reason. In fact, folks, in the last year or so, I have come to see Miller as this area's renaissance man, one who knows a good deal about a lot of subjects. Frankly, I now think his political views need to be taken a lot more seriously.

Beauticians aren't baby sitters

I HAVE raised six children and 10 grandchildren. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why mothers take small children to a beauty salon and then turn them loose to roam wherever they want to. Don't they realize that the curling iron and the blower cords are there and can harm a child? The operators are there to do the hair, not baby sit. Leave the child home or take someone along to watch the child.

Get informed about current events

I WOULD like to respond to a Speak Out comment. If the Southeast Missourian were a biased newspaper, your shallow thinking would never get in print. Why don't you take the Washington Times human events spotlight? If you can't afford it, go to the library and sample the material. Get yourself informed. If you were informed, you wouldn't believe everything you hear on TV.

No pay increases for teachers

THE CAPE Girardeau Board of Education has frozen the salary schedule for staff members and vertical movement on the schedule. But how many staff members are also being denied compensation for additional degrees earned and additional credit hours earned which moves them horizontally on the schedule?

REPLY: A freeze is a freeze. Teachers will receive no pay increases this year.

Some patients are abusive too

THIS IS regarding reports we have heard of the abuse of patients in nursing homes. I am living in a residential place where I have assisted living. There are also many, many patients who are bedridden. But what they forget to tell you is how some of the patients abuse the nurses and helpers. They hit, they strike at them, they yell at them, they even use profanity at them. I think that should be known as well as the abuse to the patient.

There was a warning about the shootings

IS ANYONE surprised at the shooting in our nation's Capitol? About a year ago, a county sheriff from Montana was interviewed and asked about the situation of growing civil unrest in this country. He said, "What can you expect when there's an oppressive Congress passing tyrannical legislation and oppressive taxation? Congress continues to send our money to the International Monetary Fund to shore up the economies of communist China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Russia. They take our money for so many reasons, and they give us very little. Sure, it's a great economy. We all have three jobs in this great economy. With more oppression, more oppressive legislation putting more pressure on the people of the United States, there'll probably be more actions like this in the future." And who could blame him?

Worried about invasion of squirrels

WHAT CAN we in my community do to rid ourselves of this invasion squirrels? There are hundreds of them, and they destroy everything. What can we do to get rid of them? Are we allowed to kill them?