The Speak Out column 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.
Biden inflation
WOW, the Democrats on Speak Out who are crying about Trump must have forgotten the total 20% inflation since the Biden Administration took office!
Trump and team
President-elect Trump has been convicted of sexual assault in a court of law, by a jury. The judge made clear that this was a "rape." Trump selects Matt Gaetz, for attorney general, who is under review for having paid sex with a minor, crossing state borders and engaging in drug use. Trump also selected Pete Hegseth to head the defense department. Hegseth also faces allegations of rape. His victim and her husband went to the rape victim department in the area with the evidence. Is this what the good people of Southeast Missouri voted for?
Gas prices
Lots of the debate (noise) in the past few years has been about gas prices. World crude oil prices have been around $70 in the past few years. They were at those prices in 2008-2010-2015-2019 (Trump era) and since 2023 (Biden era). The noise about "drill, baby drill" is laughable. Drilling applications in certain areas have been open with no bidders, for economic reasons. America has been "self-dependent" for the past three to four years. America has been a net exporter of oil in recent years. The cheap gas of a while ago was totally due to a worldwide COVID shutdown of economies around the world. The only way to again enjoy the low gas prices of the Trump COVID time is to hope for another worldwide pandemic. That will get the cheap prices at the pumps. Oil prices are dictated by the global economic system. Not by some guy sitting in the Oval Office.
Sanctuary cities
Send all of the illegals into the sanctuary states and cities and let them care for the illegals without federal monies!
Undocumented windfall
Illegal immigrants have been a compelling issue for many voters in this election. In 2022, the undocumented immigrants paid a total of $96.7 billion in federal, state and local taxes. More than a third goes to payroll taxes (Social Security, etc.) Yet, these undocumented and illegal immigrants cannot collect Social Security and Medicare benefits. This is a huge windfall to the financially stressed Social Security/Medicare system.
Trump's chief of staff
President-elect Trump’s Chief of Staff has significant D.C. experience. She is a lobbyist. Her clients include: the tobacco industry, a Canadian mining firm and a foreign news company, whose owner is indicted for money laundering. This position does not require an FBI background report.
Banana republic
Trump has always projected that the Democrats would turn America into a banana republic, but if Matt Gaetz becomes AG, then he has achieved that dubious honor. Gaetz would start arresting everyone who spoke out against Trump and everyone connected to his federal indictments and charges. When that clown show starts the rest of the world will lose any and all respect for anything done by the Trump administration.
Biden vs. Trump unemployment
The current national unemployment is 4.1%, which is historically low. Unemployment in April 2020 — under Trump —was 14.8%. Yet some voters think Americans were better off in 2020 than in 2024.
Jack Smith
If Matt Gaetz does get to be the attorney general, he’ll find it extremely difficult to find judges and juries who will indict or convict someone like Jack Smith for strictly following the law and the Constitution. Indicting a criminal is not a criminal offense!
Background checks
Why is Trump wanting to bypass FBI checks on his cabinet picks? If they’re honest and not involved with hostile nations or have criminal behaviors then approval should be a given, right? So what’s the problem?
Water committee
A public water supply committee should be started to mediate between city administrators and voters. Immediately this dilemma has to be solved. City administrators are unable to articulate what the city needs and they need help quickly.
Trump deportations
13.7% of all construction workers are undocumented. 12.7% of all agriculture workers are undocumented. If Trump implements his promises of deporting these workers and also adding tariffs, America might well experience the highest inflation rates since the Reagan era, which was well over 10%. Returning to the Reagan years will not make America great again.
Commission story
Re: Cape Girardeau County commissioners approve worker's compensation quote: "The county’s MAC premium was $552,288." Curious here what percentage that represents of wages of the covered employees? "...they owe to the Internal Revenue Service..." Curious how county government is exposed to federal taxes.
No blackmail
Ha ha, the person who said that Russia releasing racy photos of Melania Trump during her days as a model was some sort of blackmail after the election doesn't understand Russia and Trump at all. For one, the photos were modeling photos. These aren't some sort of secret sex tapes. Second, to Putin, such photos showing a man's wife in her full beauty are actually a compliment to Trump as a man's man. You might not like this machismo between the two, but the photos weren't a threat. They were a tribute to the new president and his victory. Now, maybe that bothers you more, but it certainly doesn't represent blackmail.
Water vote
Re: "Our Opinion: Cape leadership must regain residents' support": While the mega-millions, still unexplained 'gift' to the university has been previously highlighted by many, curious about the values of other past monetary decisions and diversions, and the timeframes of future plannings and lookaheads. For example, when the water park tax was pushed for renewal, was this potable water issue even on the radar back in 2018? How many millions does that fun-fun tax bring in every year? If so, why weren't flags being raised, or raised higher? What are the total revenues of the near double-digit counts of all the CID and TDD and restaurant sales taxes? Monies diverted here to private pockets and for tourism for others aren't available for other things such as essential services for those already here and now when the general public's pockets are only just so deep.
TV administration
Typical of Trump, he’s choosing TV hosts and celebrities for his cabinet. This is all he knows — glitzy shallow people who will do anything for a higher rating. America be damned, it’s all about glitz and glamour.
Gaetz defense
Federal prosecutors and judges are usually tapped for the Attorney General’s Office, not party boys who like to cavort with underage girls and hookers at drug-fueled parties. I dare anyone to defend Matt Gaetz, and please, be very specific in your defense about why he’s perfect for the AG’s position.
Musk-Trump
Is Elon Musk using Donald Trump or is Donald Trump using Elon Musk? Are there any riverbanks to the Musk-Trump friendship? What will the marriage between the world’s richest man and the world’s most powerful man look like?
Sideshow circus
The three-ring Circus Side Show Obama/Trump/Biden wasn't leaving town before the election even happened. So four more years of merry-go-rounds, games, and sideshows for the good town folks to enjoy.
Bring in Trump
It is time — "actually past time" — to remove Joe Biden from the presidency and install the president-elect before Biden starts WW3. Ukraine is not worth the destruction a nuclear war would cause and Putin is just crazy enough to use nuclear weapons in his quest for power.
One nation, under God
How about getting rid of the "DEI" and "MAGA" and just getting back to the good old USA. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Turning country around
And the meltdown of liberals continues with lies like Trump said his second term would be of retribution and revenge. That is a lie, but the liberals haven’t learned anything from the election. Their only defense of Biden was lies about Trump. Saying that Trump is going to destroy the country from within — another lie. That's what the Biden Administration has been doing for four years. Liberals, stop looking in the mirror as everything you are screaming Trump is “going” to do is what Biden has been doing. Trump is going to turn the country in the correct direction and the majority wants this! Look at the election. Numbers don’t lie.
Wall at northern border
Rajinder Singh, 51, who was convicted of human smuggling, testified Tuesday that he shuttled more than 500 Indian migrants across the U.S.-Canada border over the last four years. So when does the wall and military begin Donald? Borders are borders.
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