SPEAKOUT

Stop the harassment

WHAT A wonderful letter in today's paper from the property owner's view. Can't some way be found to stop the RCGA from harassing these landowners?

Newt had it right

I THINK a lot people owe apologies to Newt Gingrich. As I recall, about a year ago Newt was talking about how there were many people in the Clinton White House who couldn't get security clearances because of drugs. Turned out it was all true. What a liar he was at the time, but do you hear anymore about it? No. I think we all owe Newt a little thanks.

I NOTICED in the paper where the city of Cape is going to increase the sales tax for the new water system. I am surprised that they're asking the people that don't even live in Cape Girardeau to pay for these people's city water. Most all communities take care of their own water system and don't have outsiders to take care of it. I don't think it's right for us to ask people outside of our community to pay for it. I hope they reconsider increasing the tax to pay for the water system in the city of Cape Girardeau by the people that don't use this water.

REPLY: The city has made no decision about improvements to the water system. One option being considered is a sales-tax increase to pay for major improvements. Another option is to raise water rates.

Let's vote on abortion

ALL YOU pro-abortionists, I don't understand your problem with the constitutional amendment for abortion. If you are the majority, as you say you are, you would have no problem on people voting on whether or not we agree. If Congress passed a constitutional amendment, it would have to be then ratified by 3/4 of the other states. Now, if you are in the majority, you would never get that passed. The problem is that the Supreme Court is the only reason that abortions are legal now, and the people have never had their voice heard on it. Framers of the 14th Amendment did not intend for abortion to be included in that amendment. A vote would simply clear the air. What's the problem?

Middle-class slavery

TO THE person who thinks he or she is a slave because welfare is going to be reduced and recipients are going to have to work for a living: Slavery is being middle class and working hard to earn a wage and having a large percentage of that wage confiscated by the government to give money to people who don't and won't work.

Democrats flip-flop

AS GOVERNOR, Bill Clinton was pro-life and Sen. Al Gore was pro-life. As national candidates, they both flip-flopped their position. They gave into the extremist wing of their own party. Apparently their party is marching in lockstep because there is no floor debate about abortion at the Democratic hearings. Who has a consistency problem? Bob Dole has consistently voted pro-life. His platform is pro-life. Yet the media seems to think Bob Dole has the problem. I think they need to report the facts.

Work is best policy

NO, THE Republicans are not licked. I don't usually get that involved in politics or take part in polls, but on election day I did something I've never done before. I voted Republican. It took a long time, but I finally realized that I don't believe what the Democrats stand for. I'm thrilled about the welfare reform. I'm tired of supporting other people who I don't know. I want to keep more of my hard-earned money. This country was founded by people coming here and working hard, building their homes and making a living, not by it being handed over to them. There are no guarantees in life. You should have to make your own way. When help is needed, it should come first from family, not government. If it was like this, our government would become smaller, and family values would return to our children.

Lake has support

I'M CALLING in response to the letter writer who claimed that landowners didn't want the Cape-Bollinger County lake at the July 30 landowner meeting. I don't know what planet she was from, but my wife and I also attended the meeting along with a huge number of fellow landowners who were for the lake. Those few people who were against the lake were loud, rude and obnoxious. Bollinger County needs the lake in order to provide a future for the people of this area. Bollinger County is one of the poorest in the state. One out of four families are on some kind of welfare or government assistance program. Wouldn't it be a shame if jobs were created in your own back yard and some of these people could actually stop living off the rest of us?

Lights need adjustment

JUST SAT at another long line at Route K and Siemers Drive. Since they put stoplights in, it takes me a lot longer to get to work. I don't know who regulates the lights but I wish someone would check into what is wrong with these lights. Sometimes you sit when there's no traffic coming at all, you will still sit for two or three minutes waiting for the light to change. I know it can be regulated so this doesn't happen. Someone please check into it.

Everyone has opportunities

THIS IS a reply to "End corporate welfare." I'm sick of hearing welfare recipients whine and try to put a guilt trip on the very people who pay for their food stamps and welfare handouts. And that's what welfare is. It most certainly is not something that is owed you or you have earned. It's a gift to you from someone who works, whether it be a middle-class laborer or an executive of Fortune 500 corporations. Those executives work. They don't work 45 hours a week, they work 80 hours a week, every day of the week. They run successful worldwide organizations, a mind-boggling job most of us can't even fathom. They contribute to our economy, our society, our charities. They give us all the wonderful, materialistic advantages this country enjoys. Plus, their research has given us most of the most medical advantages that make our lives better than any place on Earth. This is America, if you have ambition and a little gumption, you have the same opportunities as anybody else.

Informative stories on migrants

I'D LIKE to offer my sincere appreciation to the Southeast Missourian and specifically reporter Laura Johnston for an informative and compassionate story on the Bootheel migrant workers. It was humbling to me to realize two things: These are decent, good people, trying to do what we're all trying to do, raise our families as best we are able and their importance to our area bootheel farmers. What a great article to remind all of us not to judge others until we've walked in their shoes.

Cape needs new schools

I WISH the people of Cape Girardeau community would take a lesson from the people of the Jackson community. The people in Jackson realize that they are growing and need new schools. Cape Girardeau is growing and we need schools desperately. Why cannot the people of the Cape Girardeau see this? If you had a child in school, you would understand what it was like for them to sit in a classroom of 35 when it is so hot and when it is so cold. We desperately need new schools. We need a bond issue passed, we need some schools. People of Cape community should be ashamed. Boy, Jackson has showed them up. Let this be a challenge. Please try to do something for our schools and our children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren, whoever's out there. You've got to realize, we need the school system to be excellent, to have a good community and for the future of the community.

Gephardt's blessing?

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, as a whole, is a conservative lot regardless of party affiliation. That's why Emily Firebaugh made a huge mistake accepting the endorsement of Richard Gephardt and then defending his congressional actions. This man is a flaming liberal, the exact opposite of the late Bill Emerson. He is about as unpopular in these parts as Bill Emerson was popular. I'm an independent voter who has voted for many Democrats in the past, but I can't bring myself to vote for anyone who allies herself with Dick Gephardt.

Questions for Martians

REGARDING THOSE Martians: How do they know that was a meteorite from Mars? How do they know that bacteria was on it came to Earth? Maybe after sitting around several thousands years at Antarctica, bacteria got on it. Aren't they just doing this so they can get a whole lot of funding? I heard Clinton's already promised them extra money. Money is the root of evil. Let's follow it right to the root.