SPEAKOUT

Legislators' per diem

I'M INTERESTED in how the Missouri Legislature determines its per diem for times when it is operating in Jefferson City. Recently in an article in the Southeast Missourian one of the state senators indicated his cost for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus hotel. But wouldn't he eat breakfast, lunch and dinner even if he were at home? Why should the taxpayers pay for this? I can understand that it costs money to live out of town for a short period of time. Why don't these people rent an apartment or I would even go for providing them with some type of housing. That's ridiculous that we should pay for all of their meals every day their up there. It's not if these people wouldn't eat if they weren't at home. Give me a break.

An act of kindness

RANDOM ACTS of kindness last all year. My neighbor and his children came and cleared my sidewalk of snow, and, oh, how I did appreciate it.

In defense of Newt

I WANT to comment about the person who said Newt was crooked and we ought to get rid him. What did Newt do? Newt made a speech on the House in which he gave a telephone number for GOPAC where people could get these tapes. He then cosigned for his daughter to get a house and failed to put it on a financial statement. These things you called crooked. What about Gephardt? Gephardt sold a house and hid it from the IRS and amended his income tax twice after he was caught doing it. You voted for Clinton, and Clinton is as crooked as a barrel of snakes. He's the original snake salesman. Ask the men who were put down there in Somalia who got murdered because he wouldn't give them proper weapons to fight with. Ask their fathers and mothers about what they think about Clinton. The reason people don't like Newt is because is trying to turn power over to the public and do away with this huge federal dictatorship that we've got and let people keep the money they earn and return freedom to people. All these deadbeats hate people like that. Remember one thing: Don't try to take the speck out of someone else's eye when you've got a log in your own eye.

A good-news front page

I'M LOOKING at the front page of the Southeast Missourian, and I am so happy. It makes me feel so good to see that there is nothing destructive or violent. It is all good, neighbor helping neighbor the way the U.S.A. should be. Thank you. I'm so proud to look at the front of a newspaper and not see violence. Most everything was good.

No buses, no school

THIS IS to the Scott City R-1 Schools. If you don't run the buses, why send the kids to school when there's ice on the roads? Are you trying to save your own butts so the school don't get sued for the bus wrecking, but we have to take chances on our vehicles and our small children that we have at home who don't go to school? Thank you. We really appreciate your considerate thoughts.

Too much for legislators

I JUST want to complain about these senators here in Missouri and the proposal for $86 daily for expenses. I think that's entirely too much. Like these pay raises they're going to get, they shouldn't even think about that.

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What about the vows?

I'VE GOT a very good friend who has been married about 30 years and is a very good man. His wife walks in and says she wants a divorce. She is a Christian, she says. I would like to know where are the vows and commitments we Christians are supposed to make nowadays? Does anything have any value anymore in this country?

Women in the workplace

EVERY TIME a Republican messes up and breaks the laws, they'll turn on the Democrats. As far as the Paula Joneses out there, I don't believe anything they tell anymore. The women will argue that they should be allowed to join the religions and organizations that the men don't want them in. So what do they want in there for? To charge some man for harassment. So I say keep them separated as much as possible. I'm a woman, and I've worked all my life. I never had trouble like that in the workplace that I could not handle.

A plan for Mars

JUST ONE of those cold weather thoughts. There's been much talk recently of exploring the planet Mars. Likewise, problems galore continue for Bill and Hillary and David Bonier continues to cause headaches for Newt. Well, I have an idea that would clean this mess up. Let's put all four of them on a spacecraft. No rocket would be needed as I'm sure the four would generate sufficient hot air to get the vessel through the atmosphere and on its way to Mars. Bill and Hillary, in addition to flying on hot air, would be needed to fabricate excuses if something would go wrong. David Bonier would be needed to explore and investigate. He seems proficient at that. Of course, the vessel would need guidance and direction, which comes natural for Newt. How about it? Wouldn't that save billions of tax dollars and simultaneously relieve this country of many problems?

Street-corner drugs

I THINK all the citizens of Cape who are concerned about its growth and economic development and stuff ought to go by Middle and Good Hope and see all the drug dealing on that corner that takes place. Somebody needs to come up with the conclusion how to stop all this stuff. It's getting out of hand. They're grooming these gangs, and it's awful. People need to go by and see.

Credit card whining

THIS IS in regard to the front-page article by Scott Moyers Jan. 11 about the credit-card debt. May I suggest that people who completely go crazy at Christmas don't keep a running total and then whine about it didn't feel like that much money deserve exactly what they get. And what is this -- Christmas is responsible for credit card debt, for the biggest bulk of it. No, no, no. It's like guns don't kill people, people kill people. Christmas, Jesus' birthday, is not, in fact, responsible. People's stupidity and status-symbol buying, not out of the joy of giving, but out of the obligation, as in I feel like I needed to get the presents. That is what is responsible for credit-card debt, not Christmas. Jesus is the reason for season. I will also tell you I'm not an actual religious fanatic, just a person with common sense. It isn't my birthday, after all, it's the Lord's. Where did we go so horribly wrong? Teen-agers don't have anything to do, people are racking up $500 to $700 in credit-card debt and whining in the newspaper which is not something you would ever see me doing. I'd be too embarrassed. It seems like a status symbol for some reason.

Mail in Millersville

SEEMS LIKE all we hear about is how bad the post office is. Well, in Millersville we have the nicest people you could ever have. My mail carrier brought my medication that comes in the mail from Jackson although the other mail hadn't made it to post office due to the weather. I just want to let our mailman know he is very much appreciated.

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