SPEAKOUT

Location logic

I FAIL to find the logic in the locations mentioned for the new federal building. Why not permanently close off the block of Fountain Street immediately west of the present federal building. Convert it into a courtyard, walkway or parking space and use the land on the south side of the 400 block of Broadway. There would be no going across the street or across town. This is a natural lay of the land for expansion and would be an attractive, ideal and commanding site for the new federal facility complex. It offers public advantages for years to come. The more you think about it, the more it has merit. Hopefully the site will be decided in light of all consideration and to benefit all citizens rather than from a given group that want to bring political pressure to bear.

Translation, please

THERE HAVE been several remarks in Speak Out lately about hillbilly accents, meaning differences in pronunciation of various words in different parts of the country. There is also a difference in meaning of words in different parts of the country. I was raised in Michigan, leaving there at age 40 in 1958. We moved to this area in 1966. Here are a few of the differences with Missouri words listed first and Michigan words listed afterwards: cake doughnut/fried cake, raised (or glazed) doughnut/doughnut, jelly doughnut/bismarck, windmill cookie/Santa Claus cookie, soda/pop, ice cream soda/soda, hamburger/hamburg, earthworm/angle worm, pocket knife/jackknife, drawer/draw, puny/peaked, slick/slippery, gutter/eave trough. There is apparently no Missouri word for a Michigan gutter. It is that part of the street next to the curb where rainwater flows to the storm sewer. Then there is an expression used in the Bootheel: "I don't care to," which means the same as a Michigan "Yes, I'd love to."

Turn signals

YOU HAVE received other calls about this problem, but I think it's getting worse. I have never seen so many fairly new cars in Cape that have broken turn-signal lights, even police cars. Or could it be that the driver of these cars are too lazy to turn their signal lights on? I'm sure other drivers would be safer if they knew what these people were going to do. I think the police should start handing out tickets.

Environmental protection

THE GSA will never approve Happy Hollow as a site for the new courthouse. The cesspools in Happy Hollow surely qualify it as an environmentally sensitive wetland. It is also home to an endangered species, namely the wino horizontalis.

Set the example

I JUST read your editorial entitled "Fiscal reality." I thought when John Danforth gave his speech that he also mentioned pensions along with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest on the national debt will use up every dollar collected with taxes. Instead of saying "start with you," why doesn't Danforth say "I'll start with myself. I'll give up my entitlements. I don't need them." Why are congressmen afraid? Set the example, others will follow. All us can give us some of our checks from Uncle Sam.

Gambling harm

THIS IS a response to the person who wondered whether many families of gamblers are doing without because of someone's addictive spending. The answer is yes. Some are my neighbors and my extended family. They tell their landlords, their creditors and their welfare workers they have almost no money for gas, then they drive an hour to a casino. The kids can't have the $1 item they need badly for school, but the parents can go to bingo and spend a lot more. Their children don't get much nutritious food except their reduced-price school lunch, And one family lost its home and almost everything. Gambling may be a nice hobby for a few well off people, but it's too tempting and too out of control for some. It does harm families.

Lots of info, little space

IF THE Southeast Missourian thinks the fire, sheriff and police department columns newsworthy enough to be printed, I should think it would be logical to print it large enough to easily read. The last couple of days, the print has so fine it's been almost impossible to read. This isn't just my opinion but that of many other readers. It has become a topic of conversation.

REPLY: Thanks for bringing this up. In recent weeks there has been a significant increase in the number of obituaries published in the Southeast Missourian. (One reader suggested this was because the population in general is aging. Therefore, there will be more deaths to report in the years ahead.) Both obituaries and police/fire/court reports are valuable information. But to get all this valuable information in the paper, some way had to be found to use less space. Other areas of the newspaper have gone through this process. For example, a good deal of sports information is presented in the same type size every day. And the daily quotes of local stock as well as the full-page Saturday roundup of financial information are presented in the smaller type. Readers of those portions of the paper have generally understood that to present this information it would have to be in smaller type because of space limitations.

Council leadership

I WOULD just like to commend Melvin Gateley and Jack Rickard of the Cape Girardeau City Council and the rest of the city council, even Tom Neumeyer after he finally saw the light and voted for the rank order for the proposed federal building site. If it wasn't for Melvin Gateley, our council, I feel, wouldn't have seen the light, because Tom Neumeyer argued and argued and argued for every other site but that site. But he did finally go with the flow and voted for it. So hurrah for Melvin Gateley. Thank God we've got a leader who will speak up.

Broadway parking

IN REGARD to putting the new federal building on Broadway, they obviously do not care about the terrible parking problems at the present building. Think about what if another building is put there. You can't find a spot to put your car now. Please give lots more parking by the building.

REPLY: Plans for the new federal building include parking, including a possible underground parking facility.

What did Jesus say?

I AM calling in response to a comment in the newspaper. I think what the original caller was trying to say was that she could not find any scripture in which Jesus Christ himself said anything in regard to condemning homosexuals or the act of homosexuality. Of course, there is scripture in the Old Testament where men writing God's word did indicate that God spoke in condemnation of homosexuality. However, I agree with the original caller. I cannot find in the Bible where Jesus Christ himself did so, and I would just like to clarify that since there have been some responses that were not very clear.

Plug for downtown

I WANT to speak out for downtown merchants and the downtown area of Cape Girardeau. Eastside Cape is flourishing. The views are fantastic. There are gorgeous, well-kept homes there. And the downtown merchants work very hard to make everybody proud so everyone can thrive in this part of town.

Teachers' pay

TEACHERS DO get paid for holidays. We are not paid by the hour. We receive a yearly salary. I make $36,000 a year cash wages plus $12,000 a year tax-free benefits such as employer share of my Social Security taxes, pension health insurance and so forth for total wages of $48,000. The $36,000 cash wages are divided by 12 months. I receive $3,000 a month whether I'm working or not as long as I work on days of school and fulfill the terms of my contract. I have from 10 to 12 weeks off work each year. I am paid at the rate of $3,000 a month during this time off.

Democrat heaven

WHEN THE Clinton supporters pass away, I hope the good Lord sends them to Sweden rather than heaven, because Sweden practices pure socialism, and these Clintonites would sure love it there. They wouldn't have to worry about buying and maintaining a home, because practically no one in Sweden can afford a home. They wouldn't be bothered by car payments and repairs, because only the very wealthy Swedes can afford a car. Heck, the Lord can even make Bill and Hillary the king and queen of Sweden, and all the Clintonites could happily give 90 percent of their paychecks to Count Gephardt, the royal collector of taxes. Last but not least, they wouldn't be burdened with worries about being productive and successful, since practically everything earned goes to the government anyway. Come to think of it, why don't these Clinton Democrats move to Sweden now? Heaven is just across the Atlantic.

Dogs at large

THIS IS to the dog owners that live on Briarwood who let their dogs run loose. Did you know your dogs are digging up our flowers, urinating on our shrubs, leaving piles of excrements on our yards and getting into our carports and garages? Please keep your dogs on your property, or we will be forced to have them picked up.

Republican circus

IT'S ACTUALLY pathetic of the hypocrite Republicans who can't keep their own families together, telling everybody about family values. Listening to Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich, Phil Gramm and Pat Buchanan is like watching Ringling Brothers Circus. And they are the top clown in the ring.

Hats off

THIS IS a message for Marc Powers. I just finished reading his article in Wednesday's Missourian, and I am appalled that this young man doesn't know why he should take his hat off during the National Anthem. For one thing, it's out of respect. If you walk into a church, you take off your hat. If you walked into my mother's home, you'd better take off you hat, buddy, because she'll slap you up side the head. Furthermore, when you put your hand on your left side, you are putting it over your heart, not over your lung. I don't know where you went to school, but you'd better get with it, kid.

The greatest sins

I'M ADDRESSING this column in regard to the person who suggested that the greatest sin this country indulges in is gambling. I'm a 23-year-old white college-educated male. While I'm relatively young, I'm not naive enough to believe that the greatest sin ever committed in this country, either past or present, is indulging in the recreational activity as gambling. How can one make such an uneducated and ignorant statement? One need not look any further than the front page of any newspaper or the content of any history book to see evidence of the many sins of this country as well as its citizens have committed. Just take a look at our country today. Drugs are rampant in our schools and communities. Kids are being killed over high-dollar sports jackets and shoes. It seems that high-ranking members of the clergy are indicted on sexual and molestation charges on a weekly basis only to have members of their congregations ridicule and question the victims who make these allegations. All of this at a time when misfit parents are accused of horrific crimes against their own children, leaving broken homes and shattering the lives of fragile children.

More participation

I JUST saw in the paper that at the SEMO Alumni tournament that they're having a three-point shootout between local high school players. Only Cape Central, Notre Dame and Jackson players will be participating. I think you should open that up to at area high school players, and if it gets to be too many, have a shootout before the game, make them small fee to enter and only have the best at the halftime of the alumni game. I also think this would help attendance with local high school players besides these three.

Shopping for justice

FOR THE benefit all the citizens of Cape and Jackson area, instead of trying to put a new courthouse downtown close to the river where you've got crime, old buildings and narrow streets which will be even more congested if we ever get riverboat gambling up and going, the most logical place is one that has not been mentioned as of yet. And it would be the vacant lot between Wal-Mart and Lowe's off of Route K. Very nice streets, especially with the new traffic signals, and it would be convenient to everyone because everyone at some or another shops out in that area. So it would be highly convenient off the interstate and probably the cost, since you're not having to tear anything down or strip anything out, would probably be a whole lot more beneficial than trying to put in the congested downtown area that has no real good room for expansion. And no one has to be out of their homes.

Education vote

IF ANYBODY at all in the state of Missouri cares anything about educating our young people, they'd better vote for Peter Kinder.

No on Amendment 4

THOMAS PAINE said, "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil. In its worst state, an intolerable one." Paine's dominant thing was that taxation produced tyranny. Carnahan gave us the largest tax increase in Missouri history with Senate Bill 380 in violation of the Missouri Constitution and contrary to his promise of a statewide vote. What a detestable, left-wing tyrant we have in Carnahan. Now Carnahan wants to dupe the voters to approve Amendment 4, which will allow Carnahan and his tax fees to increase our taxes each year up to $50 million without a public vote and gut the protection we already have with the Hancock Amendment. Vote no on Amendment Fraud and keep your money.

Plan isn't fair

CITY HALL, shame on you. I was appalled to learn that the budget plan for utilities in Jackson is only for homeowners. I have paid taxes, spent money in Jackson for over 12 years now, and it upsets me that the budget plan is designed for the wealthy that live in those oversized luxurious homes, making it even more comfortable for them. They choose to live in those home with outstanding utility bills. They should be the ones who are exempt from the budget plan, or at least change the name to something other than budget. Who are you fooling? This is just another one of your deceitful tricks, and it angers me to think that we have been screwed and didn't even enjoy it. We thank thee, city hall.

Welfare and abortions

I WOULD just like to say I don't know what the big fuss about abortion is, considering more women sign up for welfare every day than have abortions.

Let the GSA decide

THIS CONCERNS the location of the new federal building. I think that it is the business of the people who are on the GSA committee to make this selection. After all, they know their needs and must realize where these needs can best be met. It would be ideal for the city of Cape Girardeau to get rid of this old St. Francis hospital building. Just like they did with the old shoe factory location. It seems when somebody ends up with a lemon, they're always trying to talk somebody into taking it off their hands so that they're rid of it. I say, let's support the GSA and whatever decision they make. We know that they were qualified to make it.

Thanks to Emerson

I WISH to express my appreciation to Congressman Bill Emerson for the fantastic job he is doing and has been performing. Not only for myself, my city, Cape Girardeau, but the nation as a whole. He's quick to respond to his constituents. He has a fabulous 98 percent voting record in Congress, and thankfully he supports me in Congress against socialism and liberalism. I wish we had more like him in Congress.

Afraid to call

I FEEL exactly the way the other callers felt about Jamie Hall's column except I was so angry I was afraid to call afraid of what I might say.

No union guarantees

I'M AN employee at M&W Packaging, and I'm calling in dispute of the union argument that was in Speak Out. I just want to say that what I've observed over the past month is that a good number of the pro-union employees are the employees who are just showing up for work and doing only what is necessary, and they are expecting the big promotions and pay raises. These things are earned by performance and the quality of the work that the employee puts forth. They're not just given away, and they're certainly not being guaranteed by the Teamsters. I don't know where these people worked prior to working here at M&W, but if they think things are so bad here, then they should go elsewhere. Then they'll find just how good they have it. M&W is a fair company and a great place to work, and the Teamsters will only hurt us, not help us.

Recycling incentive

I'm wondering why in the world our city council members are still sitting on their hands and not doing anything about urging people to recycle all their recyclables. We're spending hundreds of thousands dollars in tipping fees where we could be saving that if more people would recycle. I won't vote for one single one of them when they come up for re-election, because this has gone on for far too long. Particularly when they can get people to recycle and that is charging for each bag that they use. I realize that some people are not going to recycle, but those that do, fine. But those that don't, if they want to put out 10 bags at extra cost, fine.