Speak Out 1/31/09

Preserving status quo

DIFFERENT name, same game: Commissioner Paul Koeper has time and time again voted with Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones to preserve the status quo with no regard for what the people want.

Ban smoking

I understand how hard it is to stop smoking. It took me 20 years of trying before I finally stopped. The whole time I knew smoking was bad for me, but I was addicted. The whole time I dreaded that my children would use me as an example and smoke too. They did. I was ashamed. But I loved my cigarettes more. Thankfully, they were the ones who helped me quit. It's time for Cape Girardeau and Jackson to ban smoking in public places. It's the best thing to do for the children. If the ban had been in place when I was younger, maybe I would have never started. Or maybe I would have stopped earlier.

Economic wisdom

IDEOLOGUES who advocate the hellacious economic theories of Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises and Milton Friedman are either in denial or mentally challenged to the degree that they are incapable of understanding the truth. At least when it comes to the financial sector of our economy, these one-time esteemed, now seen to be failed economists (Friedman admitted the error of his ways) would do nothing to rectify the pending collapse and let laissez-faire economic principles carry us over the precipice. Into what? Nazism? Communism? Anarchy? Who knows? Thank goodness practical-minded President Obama and pragmatic Democrats are calling the shots on this one. The advocates of allowing an unregulated free market to determine the outcome the mess created by Bush and his minions would, in the name of ideology, allow our successful mixed economy to evaporate.

They're my children

IN regard to the comment "Too much control": They are my children, and it is my job to control them. I know where my children are, who they are with, what they are doing and what they watch and listen to. I control what they wear and when they wear it. They are my children. It is my job to make sure that they become upstanding citizens, polite and hard-working.

Good old boy

VOTING to allow Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle to advertise his books on the county website virtually assured our newest county commissioner acceptance into the good old boy network.

Headed for a cliff

WE have a runaway train (Congress) that is about to go off the cliff. I grew up with the idea you never spent more than you could afford. But things have changed with the mindset that one can have it all today and someone else will pay the bill when it comes in later. The first stimulus package did not make a dent with money going to banks that did not want it. We are mired in credit up to our eyeballs, and the administration wants to spend us deeper into debt. This is not the way to get the economy going. The government cannot solve this crisis by printing boatloads of money. We need to curtail spending programs, eliminate earmarks and giveaway programs, jail the crooks on Wall Street and get sensible with our expectations. There are a whole bunch of CEOs who should go to jail for their wild dealings. The government needs to stay out of the banking business and private enterprise. I wonder if U.S. Rep. Barney Frank could design a new type of subprime mortgage tool?

Rein them in

IF President Obama is interested in bipartisanship, perhaps he should rein in the leaders of his party who are doing everything they can to exclude Republicans from the lawmaking process. He has promised to unite the country, but so far he and his party are doing just the opposite.

Jefferson's efforts

I'M glad that the parent who commented earlier appreciated Mr. Grammer at Jefferson Elementary School showing the inauguration. The whole school participated in inauguration activities. Every classroom was encouraged to show the inauguration and get their students involved. Mr. Grammer is an awesome teacher, but I hope the community realizes how many teachers at Jefferson encourage all of our students to strive for their full potential no matter what race they might be. We do get a bad rep for MAP scores, but our teachers and staff are awesome and are doing everything we can to not only bring the scores up (as ordered by the state and community), but also continue to help our students grow in character, self-worth and academics.

Web fairness

IT is only fair if Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle is allowed to advertise his books on the county website that Commissioner Jay Purcell be allowed to advertise when he has a garage sale, car for sale or just wants to make a little extra cash. Fair is fair.

Babies in prison

I hope Missouri is one of the eight states allowing nonviolent pregnant female prisoners to keep their babies in a prison-provided nursery. The recidivism rate among these women is almost three times lower.