THE THOMAS Eagleton column and the cartoon, whether intended to be humorous or not, were frighteningly on target. This president seems to have embarked on a military crusade just like Richard III. There's a big difference though: George Bush is sitting comfortably at home while King Richard was out there fighting.

Paying for the party

AS A state employee for over 25 years, I have never had the taxpayers pay for an employee Christmas party for me. So why does the Cape Girardeau spend $7,500 for a Christmas party for city employees at taxpayers' expense? Cut the budget and forget about the raises. I'll be starting my third year without a raise on July 1. City employees need to get with the times and be thankful they have a job.

Dark underbelly

PLEASE TAKE the time to read former conservative David Brock's book, "Blinded by the Right." It exposes the dark underbelly and betrayal of the true conservative tradition by so many who wrongfully claim to be conservatives.

Let employees pay

$7,500 FOR a Christmas party? And the city wonders why so many tax increases are voted down when it spends $7,500 for a Christmas party. If they want to party, let the employees chip in and pay for their part. That's what we do as state employees. Forget about a yes vote on the tax increase in April.

Forget new spending

I SEE the city is up the same old political ploys as far as money and taxes are concerned. City officials talk like they can't do what they have been doing in the past unless they get more revenue. When they talk about getting more revenue, they start talking about all the new things they're going to do. Why don't they forget any new spending and then see how the budget turns out instead of always thinking about something new?

Don't forget incumbents

IN REFERENCE to your article about the young man in Southern Illinois running for school board: He evidently is not your average 18-year-old and has done a lot of things that most 18-year-olds haven't done. However, what about the incumbents? They evidently have served and spent a lot of time with work in their community. How about a little time for them?

Publish parents' names

MY SOLUTION to the underage drinking problem is to cite the parents for parental neglect and publish the parents' names in the court news. This goes on long before the kids are 18. The parents' apathy is appalling.

The drinking age

I NEVER was one who wanted to see the drinking age raised. I thought it was important that I got my drinking out of my system by an early enough age so that by the time I raised children, I was mature enough to put that behind me. Unfortunately, it was probably the parents who are my age who are in their 40s now who were behind the main push to get the age raised. Either they're a bunch of hypocrites who don't want to see their kids have any fun or they're trying to prevent them from making the same mistakes. But youths are still going to be drinking as seen by the bonfire incident. To ask them to fight for their country when they can't have an alcoholic drink in America seems to be rather sheer folly.