SPEAKOUT

I WOULD JUST LIKE to thank the one who turned in my gray billfold at Jean's Country Kettle at Biehle, Mo., Oct. 21. All the contents were intact and I just want the person to know that I sure did appreciate it. I know God will richly bless them. Thank you.

WELL, GEORGE BUSH is once again ridiculing David Duke. I have a question for Mr. Bush. First off, does he realize that the Republican governor of Mississippi that was elected last Tuesday was running on basically the same premise David Duke is running on in Louisiana? Mr. Bush, I really do not think that you are qualified to degrade or judge or separate yourself from anybody running in the elections in the states. You're so busy traveling across the world to all these countries. If you would give them the amount of attention in the South to realize what is going on down there, I think you would realize some of the problems they are dealing with and why people like David Duke are able to get as much support as they are getting in these primaries.

CAN SOMEONE please tell me when the craft fair is? Usually they have one at the Show Me Center, Arena Park, and usually one at the Holiday Inn. I know it's coming up, but I don't know when. Thank you.

The 21st annual Christmas Art and Craft Bazaar sponsored by the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts will be held Nov. 23-24 at the Show Me Center. The River Valley Arts and Crafts Exposition will be held on the same days at the A.C. Brase Arena Building and at Holiday Inn.

I NEED HELP. Does anyone out there know of the old-time hand-operated machine that I can make peanut butter out of my own homegrown peanuts, and if this type of machine is still available? Thank you.

I'M A DIABETIC and I've been trying to get a job for three months, and everyplace I apply they don't want to hire me. I think that's discrimination. People with diabetes can work and want to work. Help.

WE KEEP HEARING there are over 50 school districts that will soon go bankrupt. Becky Cook stated the day after the defeat of Proposition B that three school districts have already filed for bankruptcy. Why do we keep hearing numbers but not any names? Why, if this is true, aren't we entitled to know what districts are in trouble? Why the secret?

We reported in September that two of the districts that closed were Knob Lick, which merged with the Farmington district, and Benton County R-10, which became part of the Warsaw district in west central Missouri. You must have missed that story. Voters in a third school district voted Nov. 5 to close the doors and merge with a neighboring district. Fillmore C-1 in northern Missouri will merge with North Andrew County R-6 before the end of this school year. Technically, none of the districts were bankrupt when the merger took place, but they anticipated running out of money and made the change just before that happened. Newspapers are in the business of informing people, not keeping secrets.

I AGREE 100 percent about the traffic light at the corner of Sprigg and William. Maybe when a death is involved something might be done. Then it is too late for a loved one. I reported this to police headquarters and was told that that belongs to the highway department. Please do something soon. Thank you.

I WOULD LIKE to know if the Missouri Dental Board draws a salary and if so who pays that salary. Thank you.

Board members don't receive a salary but are entitled to $50 per diem when they meet. The board is self-sustaining through annual licenses and other fees paid by dentists, specialists and dental hygienists.

I'VE JUST RECEIVED my tax bill for 1991 and it's interesting to note that 69 percent of my total tax bill goes to our school system. This is the reason for the defeat of Proposition B. Thank you.

HERE IS NOTICE from this Social Security recipient to the city of Cape Girardeau: I am addressing city and county taxes, personal property taxes, trash pickup, lights, water and gas, and the comparative price of gasoline in surrounding towns. You have forced me to move not only out of your city but the state of Missouri as well. Thank you.

THE SCOTT CITY aldermen are outrageous in giving public property to a private individual. I don't see how they can do that. Thank you.

I'M A CITIZEN and taxpayer in Scott City too, and I just read that someone resented the town giving away some city property to a private citizen. Well, I think that that was a wise move. That's property the city has never and will never use, and it did no one any good. But now it's taxable property that the city will realize some taxes off of. So why shouldn't they? I don't resent what they did. I think they made a wise move for a change.

I HAVE ALWAYS thought that experience on a job for a period of time was the good way to go, but not in Washington anymore. There are too many special-interest groups. Limit the time for congressmen and senators; we have that with the governors and president. I will vote for shorter terms.

CONTRARY TO WHAT Mr. Spradling told the Missourian, I did not vote for the city of Cape Girardeau to buy Union Electric because of confidence in the leadership. Myself and many other retired workers have absolutely no confidence in this city council whatsoever. I voted for that because I believe in future years it is better for the citizens of Cape Girardeau that the city own the utilities. But as far as confidence in the city council, they showed their true colors with one pickup for the same amount of money when they absolutely refuse to discuss BFI's offer to pick it up cheaper. They showed right there that they don't care anything for the city of Cape Girardeau and that does include Mayor Gene Rhodes. Thank you.

I WOULD LIKE for everyone to read Tales of Two Schools in the November issue of Reader's Digest. Thank you.

I'D LIKE TO say to the person who put the ad in Thursday's Speak Out about old people only voting for 911 because they're old: I thought that was pretty mean because I'm sure there were some older people who didn't vote for it. Thank you.

GOD BLESS YOU, Magic Johnson. Our prayers are with you.

THIS IS TO the person who may be an unfit parent. You listed several reasons checkbooks, tax forms, and resumes that students aren't learning in schools. But did you know that parents are supposed to be teachers too from day one of birth? So why don't you teach your kids to do those things you stated in Speak Out? If you can't teach your kids those things, you should have done a little bit better in memorization back in the good old days of school. Thank you.

I'M JUST THINKING. When I get to heaven I won't be bothered and tormented about these so-called rules and laws on garbage and trash pickup, and labels taken off of bottles and washing the glassware. And then there also is recycling. I am also wondering what to do with the guts inside the paper. Should I take the insides and pitch them in the river or should I just burn the paper that is inside the papers? I put in my 29 cents worth. Thank you very much.

I HAVE JUST received my taxes for the county and the city for year 1991. In looking at it I note that the school systems are receiving 69 percent of my total tax bill at the present time. No wonder Proposition B was defeated. What are the school systems doing with the money they now receive? Thank you very much.

I'M CALLING IN response to an article that was in Monday's paper. The article began "Once upon a time..." and it spoke about how our schools used to be operated and how they are operated today. I agree with the person that called in about that. But what can we as parents and grandparents do to help change what is happening in our schools? We too would like to see the emphasis put on education. It's nice to have some of these other things added to the curriculum, but when it comes down to the fine line these basics are what people really need to make it in this world of the '90's. Thank you.

THE CHARGE FOR trash pickup is very unfair to us citizens of Cape Girardeau. Thank you, Speak Out.

HERE'S A GOOD way to settle this education mess: Close down all the schools and let the parents teach their children at home. Do you know how long that would last? Oh, about a week or two. They would vote for anything and pay any amount of taxes for the schools to open again. Or, here's another solution: Close the public schools and open a whole bunch of private schools. You can take your kids to school and back and pay a really big tuition. That sounds good, doesn't it? Thank you.

WE BELIEVE THAT if the college would instigate a shuttle bus to the college for the students in the mornings that the students would gladly pay $10 to $12 a week to ride this shuttle. It is impossible to get a cab and get to class on time. Cape Girardeau has over 35,000 people and only one cab company. Sometimes when we call a cab to get to the college, it takes 58 minutes for that cab to get there. If you miss more than five minutes of the first hour, you're counted absent or given an F. Therefore, a shuttle bus, I believe, would be profitable for the college as well as for the students. There is no way you can call a cab at 8:20 and get there by 9. It's always 17 or 18 after 9. So we just miss the first class and go on. That's all we can do. Thank you.

THE OLD FOLKS, as the caller accuses us in Thursday's Public Mind, supposedly turned out to vote down Proposition B. This is an uncharitable, false, unfounded accusation. I am an old folk and voted for Proposition B. All of our children attended parochial schools, but I have never voted against a tax proposal to support public education. Why not accept the will of the majority instead of looking for a whipping boy? Thank you, Speak Out.

I'D LIKE THE lonely senior citizen to know there are many people who care. I do and I know that Jesus loves them. If I knew who you were I'd like to be your friend and help you.

THIS CALL PERTAINS to the many people who ring your home and if you don't answer the phone by the fourth ring they hang up. Several years ago Southwestern Bell printed a pamphlet. I believe it said you should let a person's phone ring at least 10 times before hanging up because many people are disabled and they cannot reach the phone on the third or fourth ring. I am a disabled person and on two occasions this morning the phone rang one time and on the third ring I reached it and they hung up; the second time on the fourth ring and they hung up. Doctors' offices, I know, are busy but some of these calls I have found out later do come from doctors' offices who know I am disabled. I only wish that if a person is going to call my home, if he cannot let the phone ring more than three times without hanging up, I would suggest that he doesn't call at all. Thank you.

WHAT IS THE deal with the Show Me Center? I'm getting tired of the family-oriented country shows as well as the heavy metal kiddie shows such as Warrant and Firehouse. Come on and take a chance and book us some progressive music. Here are a few suggestions: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Beat Farmers and World Party. This is supposed to be a college town. Try using college mentality next time you book another act. The students in SEMO will support you. Thank you.

TO THE PERSON complaining of the neighbor who plays loud music: I don't know what you'd call loud, but if it is excessively loud and it's played after 10 at night, you could get him for peace disturbance. If he was my neighbor playing loud music, I would talk with him first and try to keep the peace and just tell him that this is very distressing to you, that it bothers you very much. Then, if he doesn't tone it down, I would call the police and see if I could get him for disturbing my peace. I hope this will be of some help. Thank you.

IN REGARDS TO Proposition B, various comments were made on channel 7, and one kind of threw me for a loop. This one lady commented that people didn't really understand all the measures of Proposition B. I would say that's a high insult to our intelligence. I think we did understand it; that is why we defeated it. If the educators want higher measures of taxes, then they should, however, make a stance for more jobs in the community for us to pay those higher taxes. This came at a rather bad time for most of the citizens of this community. The unemployment rate is high and the job wages are extremely low. So I think we both ought to work together. Thank you.

I'D JUST LIKE to say that Proposition B is behind us. The proposition was a loser from day one. If it would have passed, the cost to the taxpayer, as usually is the case, never would have run out. The defeat does send signals to educators, and one word describes the signal: conserve. Thank you.