SPEAKOUT

Make up classes on Saturday

GOOD MORNING, I'm calling in regard to all the school days being missed due to bad weather. Back in 1950, possibly even earlier than that, when I went to Jackson High School we made up our snow days on Saturdays which worked out very well. I just thought they might want to give that some thought. Since children don't have that much to do on Saturday -- or complain that they don't, this might work very well.

Taxes affect families

IS THERE a legitimate tax watchdog group out there? I feel that the breakdown of the family is due to two people having to work to make the living now. It takes 50 percent of your income to even pay the taxes. It's time for us to stop all these taxes.

City should run water department

CAPE SHOULD run its own water plant. There is no need to put out $2.25 million to Alliance Water Resources. All that money, and all but a small amount for salaries leaves Cape. This is where we, the taxpayers, are being cheated. Keep the expense money in Cape Girardeau. Run your own water plant, Cape. Sikeston keeps its money in Sikeston instead of sending it out throughout the country. They keep their own money which the taxpayers pay and thereby get their money right back.

Let Paula Jones wait

PAULA JONES waited three years before she even reported the supposed advance made to her by the president, governor of Arkansas at that. Then she went to the Republican Party to report it, then to Pat Robertson who had run on the Republican ticket for president. She can wait four years to have her date in court. As far as I'm concerned, she doesn't deserve a day in court. If every woman who was propositioned took somebody to court, we'd never get a case heard. She hasn't got anything to stand on. She's not been hurt, financially or anything else. She's going to get him financially if she gets her day in court. And that's what she's after, and her backers, who are the conservative Republicans. They're backing her financially with lawyers. The lawyer who is backing her is not even from Arkansas. He's from West Virginia, running for attorney general in that state and for the publicity. She doesn't have the money to pay him, his expenses. It's all politics.

Jackson runs utility plant

THE PEOPLE of Jackson are a lot smarter than the taxpayers of Cape Girardeau. Jackson officials are smart enough to run their public utility plant and keep the expense down for a very nice savings to Jackson citizens and the taxpayers. Shame on Cape Girardeau City Council and leaders of Cape. They should learn from the city of Jackson. It's the best way to run any utility plant.

Inaugural song was horrible

OH MY goodness, that song, if you want to call it that, "Let's Build of Bridge Across America," at the inaugural was the worst bunch of noise I ever heard in my life. Sounded like just a bunch of screaming. It hurt my ears. It didn't even have a melody line. It was horrible.

City did the right thing

A CALLER had a long comment about the water situation and the airport. He thinks the airport is important to city growth, and he's probably right. As for the water situation, he blames the rate increase on the fact that the city bought an outdated water system which was in need of repair. In his worlds, Union Electric sold this albatross to the city. Would he rather that the water system had been sold to a profit-making company? In this case, the citizens would have nothing to say about an increase. The company would simply increase the rates for the benefit of the shareholders. I think the city did the right thing in buying the water company, and I think the city officials are doing the right thing in trying to maintain it. Many people act as if the increase will go into the pockets of the administrators. Nothing could be further from the truth. They city is taking a lot of criticism for trying to do what's right, and I praise them for it.

Thanks for help with groceries

I JUST wanted to put in a thank you note to a young lady who stepped up to my cart when I was taking groceries out and put my groceries in the trunk of my car because she was afraid I would fall on the ice. Now, this is a very young lady. I thought she must have respect for elders because I was elderly and she realized it. I want to thank her. I don't know what her name is, but I want to thank her. It was wonderful.

Let's end prejudice

IT IS time that we end prejudice as we know it today. It is time to create people equal, men and women, blacks, whites, whatever race they are. Treat us like we all want to be treated. Like human beings, fair and decent. We all need to work for a better tomorrow, but as long as we have this hatred and racism going on, we will not have a better tomorrow. Let's work hard every day that we are out with other people, work hard to strive to make this world a better place.

THE FRONT page of the Southeast Missourian for Jan. 21 does not even mention the president of the United States having been inaugurated. Headlines refer to a barge breakaway, a tribute to King, the jet stream, local group to protest abortion and the Soviet space station, Mir. The Southeast Missourian claims to be a nonpartisan paper. Where is your patriotism? I believe that if a Republican had been inaugurated as president, your paper would have placed it on the front page.

REPLY: It is easy, of course, to claim that the Southeast Missourian would have put the inauguration of a Republican president on the front page. It really depends on what that day's news is. For one thing, the inauguration this year of a Republican president would have meant a new president, not one starting his second term. President Clinton's first inauguration was well covered on the front page of this newspaper. Also, the Southeast Missourian makes an effort each day to devote its entire front page to local and regional news, or wire news that is of particular interest to local and regional readers. This is news that isn't available from any other source. The president's inauguration, of course, was covered in depth by other media. The inaugural events were covered on Page 3A with five stories and a photograph.

Give Curt Flood his credit

WHEN I heard former great St. Louis Cardinal, Curt Flood, had died, I thought of his impact on all sports. Besides a true team player, he is responsible for the freedom of today's players to choose what team they wish to play for. Flood fought the system, he fought for his rights and sacrificed everything. He most definitely belongs in history and the Hall of Fame.

Newspaper was delivered

I WANT to say thanks to Liz, our morning paper deliverer. I don't know how she did it, but we received our Missourian every morning during the bad, icy weather. We don't give our deliverers enough thanks.