Speak Out A 11/27/04

Equitable pay

I AM a city employee of 25 years and a former trash man, I've recently read two Speak Out comments about how garbage collectors are lower than the police. They have just as many risks as a police officer, only in a different environment. They are a whole lot more physical and more prone to injury or being stuck by a hypodermic needle. These guys work no matter what the weather. They keep the trash off our streets, which is a safety and health issue. The sales-tax vote probably would not have passed if all city workers and their families didn't support it. They were told if it didn't pass to free up money in the general revenue fund, they would see no money for raises. Don't let this end the way it ended in 1979, when we the workers supported the firefighters and had to walk when they abandoned us.

Nuisance dog

IT IS Monday morning at 5 a.m. The neighbor's dog has been barking since 3 a.m. I've tried calling the neighbors, but they won't answer the phone. Why did they get the dog? What can be done about a dog that barks all night and the neighbors don't care? I'm tired of getting no sleep. I'm tired of my neighbor's dog.

Wounded in Iraq

I WATCHED "60 Minutes" about the people who were wounded in Iraq but aren't entitled to a Purple Heart. I think this is terrible. It shouldn't matter how they're injured. How about the government counts all the men and women who have been in Iraq as wounded? There's not a one of them who will come back without being wounded.

Wrong information

AS A former educator, I am concerned about the lack of knowledge on the part of our school board president about what is legal and what the board's role is in certain operations of the school district. He's said some things to me that he said are law, but they are not law. I called the Missouri School Boards Association about this and repeated from my notes the conversation with the board president. I was told the information I was given was far off the mark in so many areas. Let's clean house until we get a board that does its job.

No money for textbooks

IT SEEMS funny to me that we can give a raise to the new superintendent, but there are still students who do not have textbooks. Just the other day my child had homework but didn't have a book to do it with. Something's funny here to me.

Not too loud

I WOULD be remiss if I didn't respond to the person who complained about Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The music was not too loud. I think you would be hard-pressed to find people who agree with you. I hope Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes back again. The group was absolutely fabulous.

Open heart to cat

THIS IS for the woman in Jackson who's having trouble with the yellow cat. The poor thing is hungry. He's probably been abandoned. Give him something to eat, and he won't kill your birds. Open up your heart, and you will have a friend for life in that cat.

Generous shopper

WHILE I was shopping in Sav-A-Lot, I remarked to a young man standing by me, "Man, those pork chops really look good, but they're too expensive for me." When I was checking out, that same man came up to me and said, "Here's your pork chops." They were all paid for and in a sack. He just gave me time to say thank you, and then he was gone. What a surprise. I just had to say thank you again to him and God bless.

Protect our DVD players

THE INTELLECTUAL Property Protection Act being pushed by the Motion Picture Association of America will make it illegal to bypass the commercials at the beginnings of DVDs by any software or hardware means, if it is passed. Please contact U.S. Sen. Kit Bond and tell him that Missourians don't want it to be illegal to use our DVD players as we see fit.