Speak Out: DOGE is great; DOGE is terrible; reader views vary

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.

Trim congressional perks

If DOGE really wanted to cut the government pork, they would shut down the congressional gym, Congressional barbershop, congressional ice delivery service, end free airport parking and flights for Congressmen, and the congressional pension earned after only five years of service, and force them to work more than 100 days a year for $174,000 salary.

Value of Chiefs, Royals to Missouri

How much are Super Bowls worth ? As the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals explore new locations for a stadium, Missouri leaders want to ensure it stays on their side of the state line, the Chiefs estimate Missouri receives $28.8 million in tax revenue each year from their games. To keep the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri, leaders are discussing an extension of a sales tax already in place.

Look at subsidies

If Trump/Musk are genuinely interested in preventing government waste, they should be looking at the huge subsidies that go to oil companies and pharmaceutical companies; both show incredibly profits!

Rename the months, too

I was just thinking that, since the president renamed the Gulf of Mexico we should also rename the months in the calendar. You may not know this but the current calendar is named for Roman gods and emperors. Would be more fitting if we changed the names to something more fitting for us — Reagan instead of February.

Messin' with Diet Coke

If RFK goes after the additives in Trump's Diet Coke, will that be the end of RFK?

Calm down, Democrats

Democrats just calm down.

DOGE is a scam

The only thing Trump and Musk are accomplishing is increasing unemployment and weakening the federal government to a point where everyone will be hurt.

Medicaid cuts would hit hard locally

Missouri's 8th district has 148,218 people on Medicaid. Of those 82,678 are younger than 19 and over 11,000 are seniors. I'm sure Jason Smith will be able to explain why he voted to cut Medicaid at his first ever public town hall in Cape.

Difference in government efficiency

The Republicans want our government to run more efficiently. The Democrats want it to run like a union job site, four people doing the work of one. Example: a union carpenter runs out of material he must have laborer go get it. The material is not there so he needs a teamster to haul some, but the teamster has to get a operator to load it on his truck. This is our government in a nutshell.

Trump's Gold Card for immigrants

Ever the grifter, Trump is now offering a Gold Card to immigrants for the low, low price of $5 million. Green Cards were issued after completing the proper paperwork and meeting the requirements, but the Gold Card lets people buy their way into the country.

Musk no government expert

Elon Musk’s messing around in various agencies without knowing what they do is like someone barging into an operating room and telling the neurosurgeon to step back and let him show them how it’s done.