SPEAKOUT

Help arrives to bring gas

I JUST want to thank the people who were driving their white Volkswagen when I was at Cape Rock Park and ran out of gas. It was late, and these folks went out of their way. They said they would go get some gas. Obviously they had to go all the way across town to do this, and I don't know too many people who would do that. On top of that, when they brought the gas, they refused payment. Those are the kind of folks that bring Cape Girardeau to the place where we want it to be.

Let Clinton finish his term

ALL I know is, this is the best I ever had it. I'm on a fixed income, plus people around me are working good. Things are going along fine. And I feel that it's under the leadership of a Democratic president. My only regret is that we don't have a Democratic congress to go with that president. And another regret: I think we need national health care. I couldn't care less about who the president slept with. It's none of my business. It's none of Ken Starr's business. I think that the president should be left alone. Let him finish out his term.

Thanks for flowers at library

A SPECIAL thanks to whoever takes care of the flowers in front of the library. They are lovely, and they are appreciated. Thank you.

Long-distance fee soaks customers

WELL HERE we go again. AT&T says it needs the money to cover the cost of serving infrequent callers. Last month, they socked it to us a total of $2.15 a month, which was supposed to have been 93 cents per month -- Mr. Gore's computer tax money. I was under the impression that a utility had to go through the Public Service Commission in order to raise phone bills or gas bills or electric bills. This, people, is going to do away with the poor man having a telephone. I would like for AT&T to tell me exactly how people not making very many long distance calls could lose money. This is hog wash. This is just another way to gouge the consumers. AT&T knows and the rest of the long-distance companies know that for a lot of people on fixed incomes, a telephone nowadays is a necessity instead of a luxury. I will take my phone out before I will pay this kind of exorbitant increase. This will make my phone bill go up an extra $5, counting the Gore tax, and I'm sick of it.

Judge needs to take stern action

I APPRECIATE Jeffrey Jackson's article on the Victim's Impact Panel and its efforts to impact drunken driving featuring Richard Young's story. However, he neglected to mention that after the gentleman who caused the death of Patricia Young was tried, found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years, our elected official, Judge Grimm, chose to let him out of jail after 120 days. Apparently Judge Grimm does not share an anti-drunken driving viewpoint, or he would have handled the case differently.

THE NEW North Sprigg-Lexington bypass has been opened now for over a year providing good traffic flow into the Show Me Center and eventually to the new bridge. I can't believe the city still has the stop sign backwards at North Sprigg and Bertling. I saw another wreck there today. The stop signs are just backwards. The bypass, North Sprigg, should be open through for traffic, and the stop sign should on Bertling which is very little traveled. Surely they'll get that corrected, and the sooner the better.