Speak Out 8/16/07

Paying for repairs

WHO SHOULD be paying for the problems with the new federal courthouse? The construction company should pay for things that are clearly its fault, not taxpayers.

Magazine compliments

TBY MAGAZINE arrived three days late but was well worth the wait. It was quality reading on a hot day. I especially enjoyed the article about local storyteller Dean Allison. Also the feature on Jeannie Eddleman's artistic talents and Steve Bender's "A Letter to my Father." Here are some suggestions to improve readability: Consider using a larger typeface, and please number all the pages.

Mental blindness

I'D LIKE to dedicate this old saying to David Limbaugh: "There are none so blind as those who will not see."

Healthy corn dogs

REGARDING THE complaint about soda machines being taken out but corn dogs and nacho chips still being served: The corn dogs are baked turkey dogs, which are low sodium and healthy, and the nacho chips are also baked with low-fat cheese.

Must be caught

THERE SEEMS to be a trend among our elected leaders that something's really not wrong unless you get caught at it. Case in point: Nathan Cooper. I'm reminded of the old joke about a shark that won't bite a lawyer due to professional courtesy.

Secure the borders

IT IS unbelievable that six years after the worst terrorist attack in our history America's borders are still not secure. Giving amnesty to foreigners is not and will not ever be the way to make us safe. We have called on repeatedly on our legislators and President Bush to build better fences, hire more guards and get the latest technology to secure our borders, but it doesn't seem to be a priority. And with people who have the ethics like Nathan Cooper, we don't need any outside enemies. I am so sick of politicians who think they are better than law-abiding citizens. The comprehensive immigration bill fell only 14 votes short of the 60 needed, and it will be brought up again. If you don't speak up, don't complain when the foreigners are in control of our country.

Thomas W. Kelly

I WAS disappointed when I read the article about the Kelly School District. It should have mentioned that Thomas W. Kelly, who died in combat in France in World War II, was a native of Commerce and that he left his military insurance to his alma mater, Benton High School.

Opinions on abortion

I THINK Kathryn Lopez was well informed and has a right to her opinion on the abortion issue. I was 20 years old in 1973 when Roe v. Wade and Dole v. Bolton made abortion legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy. I disagreed with it then, and 34 years later I still disagree. I don't think we should always label younger people naive. I think it has more to do with who is better informed. As far as the coat-hanger days, there's not one documented case of this anywhere. It was simply another lie to promote a cause.

Fair weather

I PREDICT our drought problem will end in mid-September. It has to. That's the week of the SEMO District Fair. Bring on the fair.

It's not free

I WAS stationed in Britain and Italy while in the Air Force, and I saw how their medical systems worked. They look pretty good on the surface, but the ugly little secret no one is talking about are the tax rates they pay in those countries in order to cover the cost. It's not going to be free.

Too much warning

SURELY SOMEONE in Marble Hill city government could figure out either how to set the new storm-warning siren testing dates or figure out whom to call to have it done properly. It was to be tested on the first Monday of every month, but it has gone off every Monday for several weeks. It's nice to have the siren, but at least test it correctly.

Laptops banned

SANITY MAY be returning to some classrooms where laptops may be banned.

What involvement?

GOV. MATT Blunt praised federal prosecutor Catherine Hannaway for her efforts in the Nathan Cooper matter while almost at the same time Hannaway was quoted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as saying she had absolutely no involvement whatsoever. What's going on here?

Water for pets

IF YOU have a dog outside, do not forget to give it fresh water before you go to work. Do not forget to do it at lunch, if you have enough time, and when you get home from work. We know how we feel when we are outside for a few minutes. Pets are out there all day. Black dogs get really hot. Give them a small baby pool. They love us so much. Give them that extra something special when it is extremely hot.

Three Rivers in review

THREE RIVER Community College's Cape Girardeau venture is the latest in a series of strange events emanating from the Bootheel. First Three Rivers sues Southeast Missouri State University. Then it opens five sites across from established Southeast sites. Then it abruptly closes the Bernie site. Then it raises tuition and hidden fees for those off-campus sites to $113 a credit hour (almost as much as the university charges). Meanwhile, Nero fiddles as the infrastructure at the Poplar Bluff campus crumbles. Someone needs to pull those covers back and look at what is happening to the citizens' taxes.