OpinionJuly 30, 1998
SPEAKOUT
I JUST want to say that if there's anyone out there who has ever taken for granted the freedoms we enjoy in this country, even for a moment, they need to go see "Saving Private Ryan." SEVERAL YEARS ago, the city promised it would take care of the curve at the old shoe factory plant on North Main Street. ...
Movie makes us aware of freedoms
I JUST want to say that if there's anyone out there who has ever taken for granted the freedoms we enjoy in this country, even for a moment, they need to go see "Saving Private Ryan."
Fix curve on North Main Street
SEVERAL YEARS ago, the city promised it would take care of the curve at the old shoe factory plant on North Main Street. I wonder what's happened to that? This is a very dangerous intersection. Something should be done to it while there is room to do without a building being there to interfere with the correction of the curve.
We need leaders, not partisan politicians
OUR NEWS media are so intoxicated with sex rumors and sex scandals, imagined or real, they do not do their job for America in the real game. The attorneys general for several states reached a $368.5 billion agreement to finally to stop teen-age smoking. Then the White House and Congress jumped in for votes and botched it. Clinton and Gingrich shook hands in New Hampshire promising to clean up the garbage of the money in the political campaign financing. The White House and Congress are looking for favorable headlines and care little about the people. They enacted a little over half as many bills in the first six months of 1998 as compared to 1996. They talk a lot and produce little. We're paying too much for partisan politicians when we need leaders in both parties who work together. Our two parties are out to promote themselves at each other's expense. They spend their time, their talent and their energy trying to destroy each other. Problems of the people are not priorities.
No support for surgery center
WOULD THE physicians who want to open their own surgery center be willing to publish their outcome ratio compared to the number of procedures they do? Also, why would anyone in his right mind want to go to a clinic to have a procedure with anesthetic when there is always a chance a patient could have a problem with anesthesia? Also, I personally know five people who have had surgery by three of the physicians supporting the center, and all five went out of town to have the surgery redone. Why would either hospital want to lease surgery space to these docs and let the rooms sit idle when other physicians could make good use of the procedure rooms? If the doctors who want to open their own center are having a problem scheduling surgery time, take it up with either hospital. But I don't think this is the case. I think the docs who want their own surgery clinic are just being greedy and don't like being held accountable for their own mistakes. So let's not support this from the community and endanger our lives.
State takes bids for clear cutting
I'M NOT at all surprised when I read that the U.S. Forest Service is trading land with old-growth timber to lumber companies because that's just the way our government works. However, the article about the concern for chip mills in our beautiful state is really a sad joke. Just last month, the Missouri Department of Conservation had an ad in the Bollinger County paper taking bids for clear cutting forests along the Castor River. I think it's time for me to stop making jokes about the mismanagement of the Shawnee National Forest. Oh, and did you catch the name of the organization taking bids for the clear cutting? Department of Conservation.
Contributors help make decision
ABOUT THE 8th District congressional race and the money that's being raised: It seems that Tony Heckemeyer has a whole lot of money being raised from out of state, a lot of it from lawyers. And it looks like a lot of Jo Ann Emerson's is coming from the Farm Bureau right here in the district. Now that makes the decision a whole lot easier for me. The Farm Bureau represents Southeast Missouri real well, and I think Jo Ann Emerson does a good job. Jo Ann Emerson's the way to go.
Hospitals open around the clock
REGARDING THE proposed surgery center: After carefully reading the articles in the Southeast Missourian, I was amazed that the one key issue that is central to this matter was only hinted at but not elaborated upon by either of the involved parties. As citizens of this community may or may not be aware, hospitals, in order to be approved by the government to serve Medicare patients, must provide 24-hour-per-day emergency services which includes the ability to man their operating rooms. Obviously, staffing so this capability can exist for the benefit of the community will cause the hospital surgery room costs to be much higher than the cost incurred by the doctor-owned-and-operated operating rooms, which are allowed to be open only during normal business hours. With no overtime or on-call pay and with the ability to shunt the complicated cases to the hospital, these doctor-operated facilities should have a substantially less cost than operating rooms in the hospitals. If the state approves the doctors' surgery center, it should require that it be open 24 hours per day and handle all levels of surgery, just as required of the hospitals.
Quality of care is the issue
MY DECISION to seek surgical care outside of the Cape Girardeau area was not financially motivated. It should be noted that although my surgical procedure was performed in St. Louis, my pre-operative MRI and post-operative physical therapy were completed at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. The care I received during the diagnostic and rehabilitative portion of my medical treatment was performed with the utmost satisfaction. Orthopedic care in our community can be described as substandard with regard to joint injury. Nothing would have pleased me more than to have my surgery here. Traveling to St. Louis greatly inconvenienced me. Sadly, the track record of area orthopedists for joint repair and reconstruction convinced me to seek surgical care elsewhere. I am loyal to our community hospitals and regret taking business away from them. When determining certificate of need, I hope an accurate assessment is made. As I see it, we do need competent orthopedic surgeons in our community. The facilities to support them are already here in abundance.
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Friend of big insurance, not the little guy
I WANT everyone to know that Jo Ann Emerson is trying to fix it so that you cannot sue you HMO if it causes death or irreparable harm because of its negligence. That's because Jo Ann is a friend of big insurance, not the average person.
Worker comp is worse than a joke
THIS IS in reference to the complaint from the individual about Missouri's worker compensation. Buddy, I hear you, and I feel for you. Worker compensation in this state is worse than a joke. Its simply a system that traps the injured worker in a system that forces you to accept the most ridiculously low settlements, and you're forced to go to any quack your employer makes you go to. There is absolutely no protection for your job. None. Zero. It's a sham. Your boss can get drunk and run over you with a fork truck, and you really can't do a thing about it except accept what the pathetic worker compensation system forces you to take. All you ever hear is how the companies have to pay. Well, that may be true, but those dollars aren't going to the person who lives in pain or loses a limb. There is no incentive for companies to make the workplace safe, because they aren't held accountable. Why does our no-fault system require the most lawyers? Think about it.
Don't make students pay for parking
AS A nontraditional student at Southeast Missouri State University who has to pay all of his tuition out of his own pocket and gets no help from any other agency, I really feel that adding a parking fee in order to get close enough to your classes is not in the best interest of the nontraditional student. I really feel that by adding this parking fee, it just puts a bigger burden on us who have to pay our own tuition out of our own pocket. I think its time that Southeast Missouri State University make the turnaround and try to find some way so students who have families and jobs can park without having to pay the additional fee. The Southeast Missouri State University parking problem is getting out of hand.
Photograph was fantastic
I WOULD just like to suggest that the photograph which appeared on the front page of the Southeast Missourian this past Saturday by Fred Lynch should be the all-time top prize winner of all photographs. It was absolutely fantastic.
Column as a day brightener
MR. SULLIVAN'S column of July 24 was certainly a day brightener. I always enjoy his column, but this one is the tops. In fact, I read it twice and will read it again. Please keep them coming, Mr. Sullivan.
He could have testified voluntarily
BILL CLINTON was given every opportunity in the world to go before the grand jury voluntarily. He was invited six times to give his side of the story to the grand jury, but he refused. So Ken Starr had no choice other than to subpoena him.
Proud of Jackson's baseball team
FINALLY, Jackson has a winning baseball program in the American Legion. They got to the American Legion finals. As a resident of Jackson, it feels good to have a program that is finally on top or in the championship game. Jackson residents should take their hats off to the players and the coaches of American Legion Post 158. Congratulations.
Take action on the Internet tax
More about the national tax on your telephone bill, which is a Clinton-Gore tax they put on without a vote of the people. Now these people want the schools and the libraries to have a cheaper hookup to the Internet. They would be better off if they took the computers and calculators out of the schools and gave the children pencils and paper again. But instead of sending Mr. Gore a tea bag, I'm going to send him my bill and see if he will pay it. Write your congressional representatives and your senators and let them know how you feel. Above all, write John Ashcroft, because he's the guy who is trying to get it repealed.
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