Speak Out: Readers chime in on matters of the day

The Speak Out column allows readers to voice their opinions on topics of local importance. 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 accomplishments and acts of grace. To submit a comment, go to: Submit Speak Out comment.

Cost of water

Re: Water plant clarifier failure — in fairness, had the water rate proposal passed, doubt that the fourth clarifier could have been built and placed in service so soon after the vote to serve as the redundant backup for this particular event. However, the trends presented confirm that things are getting and will continue to get worse, question being just how much more worse? At least a continuing educational opportunity to compare the cost of water against the various costs of no water.

President Musk

When the federal government ceases to function, just put in a call to the White House and speak to president Musk about it.

Deep state?

When president Musk gets finished gutting the “deep state” MAGA will finally understand what they actually were — honest, decent civil servants who were doing their jobs and doing them effectively. Not one single word from anyone when your Social Security check doesn’t arrive or if Medicare can’t process your claims because no one's left who knows how to do it. Not one word!

Time to cut, cut, cut

Many of the cuts that the Trump administration is making are hard decisions. What the American people need to remember is, our deficit keeps going up, and if we had an overabundance of money, our country could afford more, but we are not living in a time of over abundance. The government has borrowed and borrowed for years without cutting anything. Is this how people run a business? Is this how people run their household? The answer is no. We have to balance our finances. The government needs to do the same thing and that's why we are where we are. Someone needs to put the brakes on. Let’s prioritize what we actually need and then go from there.

Attacking the judge

Judge Tanya Chutkin is one of the most respected federal judges and just because she handled Trump’s insurrection case doesn’t change anything. Now that she is ruling against Musk and his DOGE (read: phantasy committee) she’s being attacked for doing her job. Because of that he’s labeled her a rogue judge. The only rogue in this scenario is an unelected person who has not been appointed by congress and who chairs a cosplay committee that is intent on destroying democracy.

Hurting farmers

The Missourian article on how local farmers are being hurt by Trump and Musk shutting down USAID should expose the absolute idiocy and hypocrisy of the Trump/Musk administration. It’s obvious that they didn’t even think about who would be hurt by shutting down the agency because I guarantee you 99% of those farmers being hurt voted for Trump. How many more farmers are going to be hurt by their utter stupidity? What is Vice President Vance going to tell Iowa corn farmers who are going to lose contracts with USAID? I would love to be in the room when he explains it to them. He might want to wear a flak jacket when he does it.

Not a Christian nation

The thing about Conservatives is they believe the myth that the United States is a Christian Nation. One problem with that all the Founding Fathers were Deists molded by the Enlightenment. The whole foundation of the United States was based on the Early Modern Philosophers not Bronze Age Sheep Herders. In fact Christianity had no influence on Modern Western culture.

COVID restrictions

Trump has signed an executive order that bans schools from requiring COVID vaccinations for students. He botched the pandemic during his first term and now he’s doing it again. Does he want students and teachers to needlessly die again? How cruel and disgusting can he get?

Immigrant arrests

ICE is arresting fewer than 600 people a day which is far fewer than Biden‘s numbers. And Trump‘s administration had to admit that they were catching and releasing some of those people just as Biden had done. There are no mass deportations that we were promised. Are we winning yet?

'Red' state pain

One of the reddest and most pro-Trump state is about to find out what it’s like to be double crossed for voting for him. Huntsville, Alabama is the home of the Redstone Arsenal Space Center is being hit with massive layoffs and firings by Elon Musk and his fake DOGE committee. This means thousands of NASA engineers and scientists will be forced out of their jobs with an immeasurable impact on the economy of Huntsville. The people being hurt the most will be the most loyal Trump supporters.

Price of chicken

If the price of eggs continue to rise due to chickens dying because of the Avian Fly then why isn't the price of chicken rising too because of less chickens.

Abortion in Missouri

Why did it have to take a judge's order to enforce the right to an abortion in Missouri? The referendum was passed and it became law. Why do Republicans think they can pick and choose which laws they’ll follow? I think they need a refresher course on the Constitution.

Not FEMA's job

It is not FEMA's job to pay for your shortsightedness of not paying for insurance.