Bias is showing

YOUR KNEE-JERK bias (not surprisingly) chose to focus on how the Illinois smoking ban in public places might hurt business rather than the massive health benefits that will happen as a result. The business of America is not always business.

Essence of Cape

THE DISMANTLING of the marquee of the Esquire Theater is just one more example of the emasculation of what once embodied much of the essence of Cape Girardeau.

Parole violator

JOE SULLIVAN'S column about Aunt Minnie is a sad one indeed. The perpetrator in this offense is identified as James D. Kohrs. He was on parole for multiple drug charges and had been an absconder from supervision when he committed this crime. Shame on the parole board for letting him out into society, and double shame on them for not returning him to Department of Corrections for previous parole violations.

Rush to judgment

Huckabee on Leno.

Next on Colbert.

I love how he's leapfrogged

O'er Cape's Rushian bear.

Addressing parking

HALLELUJAH! Finally someone is addressing the issue of parking around Southeast Missouri State University. The problem for homeowners is paramount. However, the issue of Southeast using Capaha Park for a parking lot should also be addressed. We all pay taxes for the parks and should be able to use them at will, not just when the students leave us a place to park our cars. The answer is a multilevel parking garage in place of the lots by Cheney and Dempster. The next question is -- will the city council do what is best for the residents of the city or the university? My bet is on the latter.

Cherry-coating

DIRECTOR OMAR D. Davis recently defended the workers' compensation system and led the reader in extravagant and absurd claims of impartiality, fairness and an even playing field. It would be interesting to see a record of the number of Missourians filing workers' comp claims: how many of this number have been successful, and the length of time they had to fight for their benefits. You just can't cherry-coat a stinkbug, Mr. Davis, and I feel that's what you have attempted to do.

A fairy tale

OMAR D. Davis wrote that workers' compensation "assists our customers by providing prompt and equitably resolution of disputes in cases of work-related injuries." This has got to be the biggest fairy tale ever told. If you are hurt on the job in Missouri, the only thing that happens fast is the depletion of your bank account. The system here is geared to wait you out and hope you go away. I have heard many a doctor warn patients about the system in Missouri, and many won't even handle cases for workers' compensation.