SPEAKOUT

AFTER READING THE article in the newspaper about the Scott City Police Department losing so many people because of low pay, I find it hard to believe that those are the only reasons. Having talked with several of those people, those aren't the only reasons I was given.

WELL, WE CAN see that the gasoline stations are at it again. Because of the coup in Russia they have raised the price of gasoline 5 cents a gallon. Now that the coup is over, let's drop the price back down on gasoline. It should have never gone up in the first place. How much oil do we get from Russia? I doubt if we get any, so lower the price of gas back down to where it's supposed to be. Thank you.

OKAY, I AM getting tired and disgusted reading about people getting their parked cars hit. They park them on both sides of narrow streets, leaving room in the middle of the street for only one moving vehicle. If you want to see a good example of this, drive from Independence south on Hanover to William. Thank you.

I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY with Brad Harris' article on the American Legion baseball team. It's too bad the coaches didn't let some of the players that sit the bench play because they're the ones that really would have had the teamwork and wanted to play and win. Thank you.

FIRST, I'D LIKE to say thank you for the stop-and-go lights that were put in to make it easier to get to Wal-Mart. I second the comment about the farmers being on welfare rubs me wrong. We farm for a living and it's a lot harder than going to the mailbox for welfare once a month, but the things we own we bought with the money we received for the fruits of our labor. After we take out the cost of living, the cost of farming and taxes we pay so people can have easier lives out of our pay, we make less a year than welfare recipients. Thank you.

I WOULD LIKE to say thank you to the Family Planning Clinic here in Cape. I really enjoy going there. They're really nice. I'd like to say that I like the woman doctor they have and she is real accurate about getting you in as quick as they can. I just appreciate them because I would rather go there as to go to my doctor. I want to say thanks to the Family Planning Clinic.

ONE THING I'VE noticed with these news people is that whenever something big is happening they always call in a lot of assistance. During the Persian Gulf war they called all the generals and retired colonels and everybody they could get to advise what was going to happen; what was happening here and what was happening there. Then in this Russian crisis they had professors from universities come in and tell them what was going to happen. Well, I noticed that all the local stations do the same thing. The thing I've noticed in particular about them calling in all these experts from universities, particularly these professors, is that none of them know what's going on. They all get in there, spout off their high-blowing statements, and they are never right. I don't understand why, if they're going to take the money to do the job of news reporting, they have the professors come in. Why don't they just quit their jobs and let the professors do it? They're just as right as the reporter, and that's never. Thank you.

CALL OR WRITE Sen. Danforth, U.S. Senate, Washington D.C. 20510, and ask them to make cable TV pay the networks. Tell them to vote for Senate Bill 12. This will not cost us, the consumer, any more, but it will cost the cable companies to pay the networks for airing the networks. Maybe this gives the cable company a dose of what they've been giving us, the consumer, all along. Ask Sen. Danforth to vote for Senate Bill 12. It will cost the cable company, not the consumer. Thank you.

THIS IS TO the citizens of Cape Girardeau about the bond issue as well as the water system. If you vote, I have a bridge on the east end of Morgan Oak I'd like to sell you. Thank you.

THIS IS CONCERNING the farmers. I know very well how hard you work because I was raised on a farm. But in God's word, in Exodus, he plainly says do not work on the Sabbath. If you will listen to God instead of trying to do it yourself, he will give you plenty of days to harvest your crops. My daddy did it God's way and we always had food on the table and things that were canned by mother.

ALL AMERICAN TAXPAYERS should now put their hand on their wallet in their pocket and keep it there because it's a certainty that George Bush is going to try to pick your pocket and give your money to Gorbachev and Yeltsin. He's the kind that thinks he should be giving taxpayer funds to any country that does anything, as evidenced by the fact that Egypt got $7 billion for doing nothing. Thank you.

I'D LIKE TO voice my displeasure at the Fair Board's decision to hold the baby contest at 4:30 in the afternoon. I like a lot of other parents don't get off work until 5, and I'm really disappointed that they've decided to hold it at this time. I have contacted the fair board and they say nothing can be done about it this year; that they will consider it next year but it is a lot of trouble to them. They want the contest over before the shows begin for no apparent reason. I'd just like to know if any other parents have this same problem, too. I, myself, will not be able to do anything about it next year because my baby will be too old for the competition. I just think it's sad that they don't consider people's problems and concerns before they plan events like this. Thank you.

A BIG THANKS to the public library for putting out a beautiful new bench and receptacle. It sure helps when you're waiting for a ride or a taxi. There was never anyplace to sit before. Whoever paid for that, thanks again.

YOU SURE DON'T have to sing a very bad song for the farmers to start crying. You farmers act like you are the only ones that have to work hard for a living. For every farmer that works 80 to 100 hours per week, like I've heard before, there are three that will ride around in their brand new pickups, their checkbooks stuck in their front pocket, and have two or three people working for less wages than he would. I've never heard a farmer yet who said he wasn't having a hard time. Thank you.

I'VE GOTTEN VERY disturbed about the Gorbachev deal. They have no right showing the news live from Moscow during our soaps when we watch it in the nightly news anyway. It's very distubing. Thank you.