Speak Out: Does the US need more horsepower behind its economic engine?

Speak Out allows readers to voice their opinions on topics important to them. Comments are meant to be short in nature. There is no guarantee that a comment will appear in print or online. We encourage positive comments, especially those that mark local accomplishments and acts of grace. To submit a comment, go to: Submit Speak Out comment.

Economic horsepower

"America is the greatest country in the world" is one of the most common statements spoken. The USA cannot retain this title by using a lawnmower-strength engine to power its economy. The national debt is clear evidence of this fact.

Remembering Gary Rust

Gary Rust was a visionary leader whose dedication to journalism and community left an indelible mark on Southeast Missouri. His passion for storytelling and helping local businesses inspired countless individuals. Gary’s warmth, wisdom and generosity extended beyond his work, touching the lives of everyone he met. He was a pillar of our community, and his legacy will live on in the countless lives he impacted. He will be deeply missed.

Make your free throws

A good rule of thumb in analyzing a basketball team's success or failure is the free throw percentage. The higher the team percentage of free throws, the higher the percentage of game wins and vice-versa. Your armchair BB analyst.

NOLA bollards

Whatcha bet the new bollards are being installed, closing the gaps on Bourbon Street.

Terror attacks

The terrorist attacks in the past week (and more coming) were predicted when Biden and Democrats pushed open borders and DEI programs.

Biden priorities

So who was the FBI focusing on these past four years? The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memo in October of 2021 instructing the FBI to label activist parents at school board meetings with “threat tags." Documents in 2023 reveal multiple FBI field offices were involved in the drafting of the infamous memo that labeled Catholics as potential domestic terrorists. During the Biden administration, the FBI targeted 55 pro-lifers for “praying, singing, and evangelizing at abortion facilities across the U.S.” There are many more examples of socialist/Marxist policies to harass and prosecute those who disagree with democrats politically at the expense of those who would commit real acts of terrorism.

Presidential medals

Biden on Thursday awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 individuals at the White House, including former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). What a Hoot! Maybe she can wear it when she is sent to prison!

25th Amendment

Since VP Harris, the cabinet and Congress didn't invoke the 25th Amendment on Biden due to his cognitive impairment, the 25th Amendment should be made void and removed from the federal Constitution!

NOLA attack

For clarity, the New Orleans attack and the massive shootings across the country are not being committed by illegals.

Trump economics

Voted for Trump/Vance for the potential social changes, not the economics. The question is, how can social changes happen when the economics of the new administration are still built on the same old increasing debt and deficit?

Trump on H-1B visas

By claiming they need more H-1B visas, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and Donald Trump are saying American workers are too stupid to work in high-tech jobs and smarter immigrants are the solution. So much for Trump’s America First crap. It was a lie all along because he never cared for American workers, he just wanted their votes.

Time for new tricks

Congress's approach to America's problems is to solve each of them separately. Throwing money at each problem has been the strategy. This has been the approach from the beginning, which is why there is a $36 trillion and counting national debt. Time for Congress to learn new tricks.

Cost of tax cuts

If Trump voters thought he was going to lower food, gas and energy prices by introducing tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada, think again. These things are going to increase exponentially in the next year. Trump will say anything to get re-elected because he’s in it for himself. He wants to help himself and his billionaire buddies get even richer by cutting programs for middle- and lower-income earners. His tax cuts will only help his corporate pals who have to pay for their many vacation homes with their tax breaks. Unless you own a mansion in the Hamptons, you’re out of luck.

Get to work

After Mike Johnson got the necessary votes to become Speaker, it's time for Congress to get to work for all Americans!

Economic growth needed

DOGE may be very influential. Everything in government looks like fat now, but as they say, looks can be deceiving. With the private side having little to no growth minus the national debt, it’s easy to say the government is too big. But it’s not. The private side is too small.

What we deserve

Obama. Trump. Biden. Trump. We get what we deserve. And way down we go.

Storm shopping

Always predictable: When the forecast is for snow, the grocery stores get extra busy even though people already have enough food at home to last two weeks or more.

Jimmy Carter

In Memorial: James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, 1924 - 2024. We are remembered by the tracks we leave in the path behind.

Crime numbers

Re: Murder numbers comment from Speak Out 1/3/25: Apparently the caller of the above comment failed to hear/see that the Biden FBI had to revise upwards the murder and violent crime rates during the Biden term in office!

Trump sentencing

On Jan 10, Judge Juan Merchan will sentence President-elect Trump, who was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records by the sitting jury on the case. The normal possibility for this crime is prison time of up to four years.

To understand Donald Trump

Anti-Trump people have been going about their opposition all the wrong way. They’ve been looking at him as if he’s a real politician who has a different view on how America should be governed. What they, and 99% of Trump voters missed, is that he’s simply the world’s biggest and best con artist. Everything he’s ever done has been to con people out of their money and control their lives. The best way to achieve that was through politics. Once you understand that you’ll understand Trump.

The extremes

America has chosen to whipsaw itself going from extreme Biden administration to extreme Trump administration. Chiropractor business is booming.

Biden deficits

Re: Deficit spending comment in Speak Out 1/4/25: I guess there weren't any deficits under Biden. LOL!

Tarnished medal

Hillary Clinton today received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, forever tarnishing the nation’s highest civilian award.

Free enterprise

War has run its course around the world. Free enterprise capitalism offering business opportunity to entrepreneurs creating high income jobs worldwide will be the next phenomenon.

Be quiet

America has a social problem. People won't shut up.

Tax cuts

Re: Tax cuts comment in Speak Out 1/4/25: What a load of misinformation by the commenter! The only cuts will be to get the millions of illegals out of the taxpayers' monies!

15 days to MAGA

Today is Sunday, and there are 15 more days to put up with the Biden DEI Administration!

Medal of Freedom

George Soros received the Medal of Freedom from his Democratic paid off servant Joe Biden. What a sad day for America!

Unemployment coming

USA slow grinding descent to the bottom, which you will recognize by the tens of millions of unemployed people in the streets protesting. This is unfortunately what it will take to unify the country. And war is not the way out this time.

US Army in NOLA

Of course, half the United States Army was in New Orleans after the tragedy.

Telling falsehoods

Telling outright falsehoods is not a sign of strength, but it is a sign of personal and emotional weakness. Sometimes, it is called psychopathic. January 6 comes to mind.

Higher income needed

Economic columnist writes tax system needs restructuring. What is an economist doing writing about taxes? People primarily need higher income and lower national debt to increase net worth, not tax relief. Most people don’t have enough income to pay taxes or at least very little. Income disparity is extremely wide as evidenced by the out of touch elite.

The good US economy

Since 2020, America has created 700,000 manufacturing jobs of the 16 million total. As the head economist of Moody’s Analytic stated: “President Trump is inheriting an economy that is about as good as it ever gets.” Yet, some people actually believe we are in a recession. That shows how social media can sway opinions based on falsehoods.

Solving problems

New administration wants to solve every problem individually just like the federal government has done in the past. Never mind that the problems are interconnected and cannot be solved individually.