Speak Out 1/26/10

Paying consultants

I am normally for bond issues. But this time I want to know how much of my money was used to hire consultants. Everything that's voted on has to rely on consultants. As far as I'm concerned, a consultant is an out-of-work friend of a politician. I won't vote for the school bond issue if the district is going to spend money on that.

Listen carefully

THOSE who are chastising Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh over Haiti better open their ears and listen to exactly what they say. And they better go back to their Bibles and read it a little bit more carefully.

Driving, dialing

I sincerely hope the Missouri Legislature passes a law banning driving while talking on the phone or texting. I am on the road a lot and see people driving poorly because they're concentrating on their phone call. Today, on my way to work, a man in a pickup pulled out on Highway 72 with cars going both directions. He ran through the stop sign coming off the side road because he was dialing his phone. I'm grateful there weren't kids darting in front of him. When is this going to end?

Real cause

IN regards to the Jan. 20 article "Education team to propose plan to decrease dropout rate," I find it difficult to understand how these community and education leaders can discuss this issue and not discuss the root cause of this problem. Surely they know that this, along with other increasing societal problems, are primarily caused by today's diminished adherence to religious teaching regarding sexual morality. Children are born to unmarried women. Why can't these officials address the real cause of this problem?

More variety

I am a season-ticket holder to the River Campus and have been since the beginning. I enjoy most all of the programs. I would like to see a bigger variety of entertainment. The group Foreigner is at Carson Center in Paducah, Ky., and I think something like that would be good for the River Campus. I think the River Campus is stuck on symphonies and Broadway plays. The River Campus needs to spread out.

Making choices

THANK God for independent voters who don't follow any political party's line, right or wrong, without question. I'm disgusted every time I hear someone say I've always voted for a particular party no matter what. This amounts to letting someone else control your vote without questioning. A rubber-stamp voter is what a major party loves to have. Have input in your government. Thanks for the real folks who guard our freedom and way of life like those in Massachusetts who stepped around the party machine.

Quick response

PRESIDENT Obama isn't good for the economy, and he's not good for national security. But there is one thing he did correctly, and that was his quick response to aid the victims of the Haitian earthquake. For that, I give him kudos.