SPEAKOUT

Work for betterment instead of complaining

I'M ALWAYS shocked and amazed at the Scott City residents who criticize and at their ignorance of what really happens in Scott City. You never see them volunteering, sitting in a council meeting or chamber of commerce meetings or other town meetings. I definitely applaud the beautiful ad the Missourian compiled and every cost, including the Missourian's, was donated from the concerns of caring persons. The city did not pay for it. Learn your facts before you speak. Get out and help. We have a nice community and friends and our neighbors. You could help to make it better.

Most walkers followed the rules

THANKS TO Southeast Hospital's fitness center for the walking festival they provided for women this past Saturday. They put much effort into it and it was well-organized. Walkers registered to walk the whole distance. Runners were free to run the whole distance. It is disappointing for good walkers to be passed up by another participant who was registered as a walker but ran as she could. Of course, the running walker came in first in the walking contest. Adults shouldn't need to be monitored along the route. Congratulations to all of those who followed the rules.

Big turnout for gospel singing at the fair

I WANTED to say thank you to the Southeast Missouri Fair Board for allowing southern gospel music to be there this year. We had, they say, 800 under the tent, but we there and they had more like 1,000. I'm very disappointed in the Southeast Missourian. They didn't even mention it. We had more under there than they had all the entrants and the horses together, including the stick horses and including the people in the stand. You missed a great news story.

Some motorists use poor judgment

I WAS just driving down Highway 61 going into Fruitland, driving about 45 mph an hour, which is the speed limit, when a man with a pickup truck and livestock trailer made a rolling stop off the interstate off-ramp, pulling out in front of me. Of course, I was right behind his car within seconds. You know, the same exact thing happened to me in Fruitland again. A car, which turned out to be carrying two women and three unrestrained small children, pulled out from the gas station parking lot and the same exact thing happened. When she saw my car, she proceeded to cuss me out after she pulled out in front of me. I again was doing the speed limit of 45 which is the speed limit in Fruitland. You know, I think these are the people who are complaining about speeders. I don't think speeding is the problem here. I think people pulling out in front of people, failing to yield right of ways, failing to stop at stop signs, are the problem. Let's address the real issue. It's not speeding. It's people using very poor judgment.

The facts speak for themselves

IN THE words of our great president who served in the last decade, "There they go again." I'm referring to the AFL-CIO labor union's deception they're using in ads around the country. They're attacking the Republican tax-cut plans by saying that two-thirds of the tax cuts will go to the wealthy. In fact, it's far from that. As a matter of fact, 72 percent of the GOP tax cut benefits workers earn between $20,000 and $70,000 a year. Only 7 percent of the tax plan benefits those earning $100,000 a year or more. Do you people in that bracket consider yourself wealthy? I doubt it. According to one accounting firm, a married couple with two children and a household income of $35,000 a year would enjoy a tax cut of 40 percent. If one child was in college, the tax cut for this family under the GOP plan would be 78 percent. Yes, I repeat again, there they go again, full of lies and distortions and trying to scare the people to death when all the working class people on the lower end would benefit from this cut, they're trying to say it's not true. Facts speak for themselves.

Canada's plan to preserve the species?

SOME SPEAK Out caller wants the United States to adopt a national health care plan similar to Canada. I do too. Adopting Canada's plan would lower our quality of health care and help promote eugenics, social Darwinism and a survivor of the fittest way of life. Natural selection would take it's course, and the species of mankind would be strengthened as a result. This may sound cruel to some, but it's the only way our species can make it in the long run.

Lake projects would raise taxes

IT APPEARS the lake committee is grasping for straws to gain proponents for the lake. First they speak of a water shortage. I can't believe there is a water supply problem until such a problem is identified by the cities of Cape or Jackson. So far, I haven't heard anything. The county water districts provide excellent quality water in the rural areas. Private wells are good, and the two city systems are more than adequate for the future. Second, the lake committee speaks of all the economic benefits of the lake. Personally, I don't see any benefits to me at all. Why don't they speak of the negative economic impacts to the people in the two counties? Our sales tax rate already hovers around seven percent. Politicians are already proposing a one percent increase to cover transportation and the lake would add at least another one percent. I'm sorry, but these sales taxes have to stop. Nine percent is way too high. Imagine what it would do to big-ticket business like car dealerships. I certainly would drive to Perryville to buy a new car outside this tax jurisdiction. Now how good would that be for our economy?