SPEAKOUT

No underwater gambling

I DISAGREE with the Speak Out caller who said gamblers don't care where the gambling boats are. I like to roll the dice as much as anyone but would be reluctant to try to do so in a gambling boat sitting at river's bottom.

Stealing from Social Security

I'D JUST like to say that people forgot what the Republicans did. But that's all right. You're going to see what they'll do now. I guarantee it. They're going to cut Social Security and everything else. You watch them. And the next thing you know, they'll cut it completely out. You know, when Reagan was in, he took money out of Social Security and gave it to all the postal companies in the United States. He said they'd never have to pay it back. That was stealing from Social Security. It was stealing from us. You see, I paid that in all my life, and my company paid that in. They had no business taking out of Social Security.

Another two years

CONGRATULATIONS, JO ANN Emerson. It brings me great pleasure that you will continue serving us. You go, girl.

Let voters decide on merger

I WOULD like to make a comment about some the issues that were on the ballot. One thing I think should have been on there was the hospitals joining. I think in the next election that ought to be on the ballot because, after all, we are the patients.

Excellent column

JUST WANTED to make a comment on the column in Monday's newspaper by Jeffrey Jackson. It was excellent. Keep up the good work.

Can't understand the vote

IT'S AMAZING to me the results of the voting by precinct on the proposed River Campus. It seems like Precinct 15 was probably more against both issues than any other precinct in town, and I would expect those people to be a little smarter on this issue than to vote against it since it's such a free ride for all us as far as taxes go. Also, some of the other wards voted against it, and I don't understand that either. But maybe somebody can explain it.

A farmer's view of merger

I CANNOT believe that in a letter to the editor someone stated that the merger of both hospitals would benefit the farmers. I am a farmer, and I would go to the best hospital whether it would be in Cape Girardeau, St. Louis or Memphis -- whichever would be best for my problem. I can't believe that a merger would lower the cost if the two hospitals would merge. They could charge whatever they pleased if the two were as one. There would be no competition.

We were misled before

WHEN THE Show Me Center was first proposed, the people of Cape Girardeau were lied to. We were led to believe that the location of the Show Me Center was open to debate, when in fact the city leaders and Regents had already decided that the building would be on campus, a fact that was withheld from the public until after passage of the issue. To make matters worse, the revenue from the motel and restaurant tax exceeded expectations. Instead of retiring the bonds early, our city fathers spent the extra money on parks, disregarding the fact that the voters had already soundly rejected a parks proposal. Given these facts, it's no wonder the River Campus issue was defeated. The city and university misled the voters before. Why should we believe them now?

Who's getting rich now?

I AM wondering why is it when farm prices go up a little, the grocery stores raise their prices on meat and the public blames the farmers for getting rich. My question is now that the farmer is getting 15 cents a pound for hogs and the price in grocery stores is still the same, who's getting rich?

Foggy memories

I FEEL the Republicans in 1994 took that election and took over the House because we had a large amount of baby boomers that actually do not remember when the Republicans had the House and the Senate. You would have to be at least my age, 63 years old, to remember. So I think there were a lot of curiosity seekers. At one time conservative was a bad word. Now liberal is a bad word, which was brought on by Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, the new frontier of being a strong conservative. It was a time, my father told me, that you didn't worry about that label, you just worried about making it, stood in bread lines and all that. So I think when this wears of, the baby boomers are going to get a taste of the Republicans, and they're really going to know what they're really are, you staunch extreme right-wing Republicans. When trouble comes, they'll be more than glad, they won't even think about the word liberal.

Lots of free publicity

I WANT to direct my opinion to the Democrats coming off with these figures about the Republicans outspending them by so many million. But of course, if they would evaluate the value of the mainstream press and especially the TV coverage that they get for free, probably 95 percent and over of those people saying everything in favor of Democrats, they would be spending far, far more than the Republicans.

Lending and amnesia

I READ this just the other day in another newspaper. It says, you don't have to go to medical school to learn that lending money to relatives can cause amnesia. True words were never spoken.

Photograph was spoiled

IT'S THURSDAY morning and I'm reading the paper and I come to page 11A and I see this adorable picture of a mallard duck with her little ducklings behind her. And I'm thinking, oh, what a precious picture, what a lovely picture to start the day. Then I read the caption underneath it, Several ducklings have been born in the past at the pond but they don't usually survive the raccoons, dogs and cats in the park. Was it really necessary that that be added? Isn't there enough yuck and bad in the world and in the paper? Did you have to spoil a picture?

Good by comparison

A RECENT caller attacked President Clinton by attacking Hillary Clinton grouping her with communists, socialists and Nazis. Then the caller advised us to read some history. Obviously the caller understands very little history. To group the first lady with communists or Nazis, one must be viciously anti-American or incredibly ignorant, or perhaps both. One reason President Clinton has been able to do some disreputable things and still enjoy public support is that he has been fortunate enough to have enemies like that caller who make him look good by comparison.

Posting on utility poles

IN RESPONSE to the Speak Out comment about taking down garage-sale signs, it may please some people to know that on the very day that this appeared, Cape Girardeau police asked me to take down my garage signs from utility poles, telling me that it's illegal to have garage sale signs on utility poles. First of all, don't the police have anything better to do with their time? Second of all, would they also tell people to take down posters of missing children, or would they not allow police benefit posters to be posted on utility poles? Who owns the utility poles anyway? Doesn't the utility company own them? And if they have a complaint, shouldn't they be the ones knocking on my door and not the police department?

A trip to Brazil

I KNOW Jo Ann Emerson worked hard during her campaign. She needs a vacation. But to Buenos Aires at the expense of the taxpayers? That's a reward our politicians give to themselves, and they call it work.

Learn from senior citizens

WEDNESDAY MORNING'S headline should send a clear message to the university. They should learn to manage their project just like us senior citizens on fixed incomes do.