SPEAKOUT

Then why the new prisons?

If Clinton says crime has been reduced so dramatically, why are we building three new prisons in Missouri?

A scheme or a plan

Democrats Clinton, Carnahan and others are using two buzzwords -- scheme and plan -- in debating taxes. The Republican tax policy is a scheme, while theirs is a plan. The Clinton plan has increased the national debt from $4 trillion to $5 trillion in the last four years.

Wrong ammunition

I like Jo Ann Emerson, but if the strongest ammunition she has against Emily Firebaugh is claiming that Firebaugh is the most liberal candidate to ever run for Congress and that she's out of touch with the people, I think the pot is calling the kettle black.

Higher pay, higher taxes

I just heard on the news that 54 percent of Missourians polled are for the increase in minimum wage to $6.25 an hour. No one will gain anything from that increase, because prices will have to go up. My son earns $5.75 now, and they take out about $200 for taxes every two weeks. As soon as you get the increase, you get the higher taxes. They have already raised the prices because of the federal increase in the minimum wage. Are we in Missouri going to be unionized? Only Missouri will have this increase on the ballot. So think twice before you cast that vote, or many of you will be out of work.

Whining servers

This is in response to the restaurant server who says he or she needs the tips. Believe me, you are blaming the wrong person. Don't blame the customer, who is paying the price charged by your employer. Blame your employer. The customer didn't hire you and shouldn't be responsible for your wages. When we pay the price quoted for our food, that should be the end of it. All of you whining servers irritate me.

Seniors are being scared

I take exception to the Republicans and Dole saying the Democrats are scaring the senior citizens to death. As a senior citizen, I'm not stupid, I'm not dumb, and I really don't need the Republicans to tell people they're scaring me. I can see the facts. Social security has never been the Republicans' concern. So, let's get real. Senior citizens have lived a long time, and we've learned a lot. Don't insult our intelligence by saying we're being scared by President Clinton. We do know one thing: we know he's for us, he's on our side.

Used-car decision time

Based on ethics and reputation, would you rather buy a used car from Bob Dole or Bill Clinton?

Remember the Gulf War

Before the end of the Gulf War, General Schwartzkopf told reporters he intended to go on to Baghdad and get Hussein once and for all. But later, Colin Powell and then-President Bush, with Dole's approval, commanded Schwartzkopf to stop a couple of days from Baghdad and Hussein. A few months ago Bush admitted he made a grave mistake and underestimated Hussein's strength. Now Dole says he will have Powell and Bush in his new cabinet. Do you want these same men in power again? Remember, if you or your sons and daughters have to go to the Persian Gulf again, it will not be the same as before. Hussein now has chemical weapons as well as the bomb, and he will use both this time. When and if there is anything left of our soldiers to bring home, remember whose bad decision forced us into a war that was uncalled for by Powell, Bush and Dole.

Long wait for the doctor

I just came from an appointment with a doctor here in Cape. I waited over two hours to see the doctor. After two hours I left without seeing the doctor. I told the receptionist how long I had waited and that I was leaving. She offered me no resistance or apology. I really hope that you print this to inform the doctors that they should be a little more aware of what's going on in the front offices, and make sure that the nurses realize that they're not only there to help with the patients' illness, but to make them feel more at ease.

An 11-point plan for the future

Eleven-point citizens' proposal for government officials who want to stay in office. 1. Do not reduce taxes until the budget is balanced and the deficit reduced. 2. Stop all grants. You cannot continue giving away money you do not have. The national debt will never be paid off at this rate. 3. Stop building new prisons, and make it the death penalty for murder and drugs. 4. The only health plan U.S. citizens want is a Canadian plan that covers all U.S. citizens, not illegal people. 5. Abortion must go. It's immoral. 6. Affirmative action must go, it's discrimination. 7. Stop all farm payments now. Corn is nearly $4, wheat nearly $5, beans $8. Why? Continued giving of my tax money to those who do not need it. 8. Stop trade deficit with Japan. If they want to sell their cars in the U.S., require them to buy our own wheat, corn, beans and rice, dollar-for-dollar trade. 9. High wages paid to government workers have caught up with us. Reduce the government work force 5 percent every year and reduce pay 5 percent every year on all workers from the president down until the budget is balanced and the debt reduced. I suggested this plan to President Reagan 15 years ago, but he ignored it. 10. Stop paying unmarried women to have illegitimate babies. Let her work and support her own immoral and illegal lifestyle. The children will turn out better in foster homes or in orphanages than with their mother sleeping with Tom, Dick and Harry, and having more and more children for taxpayers to feed, clothe and educate. Enough is enough. 11. We citizens are for a national sales tax and want to abolish the IRS and state and national income taxes.

October is a good time

I think that Cape Girardeau is the best town in the middle of October that there is in the United States of America.

Government solves problems

I hear "the government is not going to solve our problems." Look, in 1932 when Franklin Roosevelt was elected, the government sure did solve our problems. It brought in the deposit corporation to stop the banks from going broke. It gave WPA workers jobs to feed their families. It gave us the Social Security system so that in our old age we don't have to go to poor farms. It gave us unemployment insurance so when we're out of work we draw a salary. In need, it gave us relief if we were unemployed. And the government has given us the Family Leave Act and Medicare. The government has solved a great deal of our problems. Not all of them, but 95 percent. I think we have a wonderful government, and it should be by our sides, not on our backs.

For the wage increase

If Missourians pass the minimum wage issue to $6.25 per hour, it is because there are more people earning minimum wage. If it fails to pass, it is because there are more people who earn well above the current $4.75 per hour. Did you know that the recent national wage hike boosted the minimum wage by $1,040 a year? If it goes to $6.25 on Jan. 1 for Missouri, this will be an additional $3,120 per year based on a 40-hour work week. We are talking about $13,000-per-year income which most minimum wage earners deserve. Forget what the business owners say about jobs going to other states or prices going up. Prices are going up anyway, and there will be plenty of jobs left in Missouri. As there are, the majority of us are not going to travel to another state to buy our goods or services. Think about it. Who knows, we may have people moving to Missouri to find better-paying jobs, therefore creating more jobs in housing development, housing rental, retail stores, gas stations, health care professionals, schools, parks and child care. The list could be endless. I say vote for the hike.

Thanks to the helpers

I'd like to say thank you to the three people who stopped and tried to help my wife who was having a problem with her Bronco on Saturday. It's very nice that there are that many people who would be concerned about a person having trouble. Thank you very much, people of Cape.

Lake support urged

Everyone who is in support of the Bollinger County/Cape Girardeau County lake needs to be vocal in their support and needs to do things that will promote the lake. If we don't, we're going to end up missing out on a tremendous benefit to our community.

Clinton has brought prosperity

To the person who called and said they're on Medicare and on a fixed income and claims they're paying more under President Clinton, he must have a different government than I do. All I know is, my wife has a part-time job, plus she draws her Social Security (which she's allowed to do), and I myself am on Social Security. We've never had it so good. President Clinton has brought us prosperity. If it was up to the caller's friends Dole and the Republicans, he wouldn't even be getting that Medicare check. He should thank the Democrats for that. Any person who's on Social Security or drawing Medicare, it makes me see red when they bash the Democrats. They bite the hand that feeds them.

Neighbors are waiting

You know, the states of Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Iowa and Nebraska are just hoping that we in Missouri pass this Proposition A. I can assure you folks out there that several of our businesses in the state will escape across the state lines. We'll lose jobs out of this thing. Our small businesses around here can't afford this. Our senior citizens are going to be paying a much higher cost for goods and services. Missouri will have a very, very high unemployment rate, and inflation will be unbelievable. Wake up people, we're going to lose if we pass this thing.

No cuts in Medicare

I am so sick and tired of the negative political ads that are going on right now. Democrats, please get off of the Medicare. You've been told that Medicare is not going to be cut under the Republicans. So back off. Tell the truth.

Find your own heroes

It'll be nice if the Republicans would get their own heroes. They're so busy quoting ours. Dole quotes Harry Truman. Bush quotes Harry Truman. Gingrich quotes Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I realize they have very few Republican heroes to look up to, possibly Lincoln. Why don't they start quoting Nixon, Bush, Hoover or Reagan? I would appreciate it if they would leave our heroes alone. Harry Truman would not have had any love for Bob Dole, and he would have detested Gingrich. Besides Franklin Roosevelt was a liberal. Why would they want to quote from a liberal, which they scorn so much? So Republicans, find your own heroes, if you can locate any.

Need better health plan

I'll second that Canadian plan for health care. There are so many people who cannot afford insurance. It's awful high, if you have to leave your job. Sure, you have a right to carry it under the new law, but what if you can't afford those premiums? What if your employer went out of business? Or if you're fired? All dismissals are not the employee's fault. I think that Emily Firebaugh, since she's for that universal health-care plan, ought to get votes. If you can't afford health insurance, don't listen to the insurance companies' propaganda. Please, let's work together to get a health-care plan. Don't believe the hogwash about not being able to choose your own doctor.

Democrats and labor

Over the last 25 or so years, there have been all sorts of laws that have been either upheld or beaten down that have been detrimental to organized labor. It's always been done by a Democratic Congress and often by a Democratic president. Why does organized labor feel that Democrats are so good for organized labor? Speaking of Democrats, where's Jimmy Carter? Why isn't he stumping for the president? This is the first time I can recall a living ex-president who won't stump for a candidate from his own party.