Speak Out 6/5/13

Kind people

Recently my 9-year-old daughter was in a serious car wreck in Cape with her grandparents on the way to see her little brother in the hospital. She was injured pretty significantly, especially to her face. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, there were two women who stopped to help. One woman stated she was a nurse but that was all the information that we have. I just wanted to say thank you to these two women from the bottom of my heart for the help, care and support you gave my daughter that evening at the scene.

‘I can't recall'

When asked a specific question about one of the controversies, I wish President Obama would start answering, "I can't recall." Conservatives could not complain, since this was the same strategy employed during the Iran-Contra scandal by then-President Reagan.

Use trash cans

Has anyone noticed how trashed Capaha Park is? It's especially bad by the ballpark and basketball court. Our city is nice enough to put several trash cans in our park, so please use them. We have a great space there; be respectful of it.

Student computers

As a teacher, I would urge Cape Public School parents to contact their administrators in CHS and CJHS about this 1:1 program where the district, with our tax dollars, will be giving each student a laptop. Ask them specifically what they are going to have their teachers do with these laptops. If they do not know what they are doing with them, then we need to stop and figure this out first before we give each student an electronic device that will enable them to do Facebook all day long instead of studying and learning enough to pass courses in order not to drop out.

Stock market

All the recent glowing comments about President Obama and the stock market just illustrate the hypocrisy of the left. The stock market was also breaking records during George Bush's presidency. All you heard from the left and their lap-dog media was how the president has no effect on the stock market and that it only benefited rich people. Now that their guy is in office, it's suddenly the greatest thing that ever happened and Obama did it all by himself.

Leadership void

Our president did his usual dance, blaming others and saying heads will roll. If he would have spent his time managing instead of taking another expensive vacation -- golf outing -- or trying to be the face on TV for every popular newsworthy event, maybe he would have had the time to look around and do the job he is being paid to do. He is the leader of the people he is accusing.

River Campus

Why is it that the university spent tens of millions of dollars on the River Campus, and it sits dormant every summer? This town needs a summer theater, and there's this gorgeous facility sitting there empty. And now the university is actually expanding the River Campus, which is terrific, but it needs to be fully operational throughout the year.

New members

I share Mike Jensen's wish that we get some new folks elected to the U.S. Congress next year. We will when it comes to the U.S. Senate, but when it comes to the House, Republican gerrymandered districts will make it extremely difficult to get some new faces, even to replace subversive tea party types.

City priorities

I think our city leaders should be ashamed of themselves for not putting in the budget for city fireworks on the 4th. It seems our leader wants all the fluff to make our city look good but won't take care of its own citizens. Fixing some streets and putting in sidewalks (where needed in neighborhoods) would be far beneficial to all instead of a few.

Safe rooms

Sitting in hallways next to lockers with heads covered won't cut it. Since Southeast Missouri is in tornado alley, I urge all area schools to immediately construct safe rooms for students.