OpinionAugust 28, 2001
SPEAK OUT
MISSOURIANS NOSTALGIC for the past should take heart. With the lack of progress on state transportation projects in Missouri, we will soon return to roads of dirt. FROM WHAT I gather, the lock on the lockbox supposedly stopping the Social Security surplus from being spent has already been picked...
Return of dirt roads
MISSOURIANS NOSTALGIC for the past should take heart. With the lack of progress on state transportation projects in Missouri, we will soon return to roads of dirt.
Lock has been picked
FROM WHAT I gather, the lock on the lockbox supposedly stopping the Social Security surplus from being spent has already been picked.
Watch for landslide
THE SPEAK Out caller who said the surplus has been depleted obviously hasn't been paying attention to the news. Just this last week it was announced that by the end of next year we are going to have a $158 billion surplus. That's the second highest surplus this country has ever seen, and Bill Clinton had nothing to do with it. In fact, the times that the Democrats have been in control of Congress we have had a deficit. The current surplus was announced in 1996. The Republicans had won control of Congress in 1994. Who does that tell us is responsible for the surplus we have? Bush is going to be re-elected in 2004, and this time it is going to be in a landslide.
Not Christian teaching
LET'S SEE if my observations are correct. Once one becomes a born-again Christian, he then has the right to judge others, destroy others by relentlessly trying to bring them down, gossip and constantly cram his beliefs down the throats of others. Somehow I just do not feel that is what Christ taught.
A great employee
MY MOTHER had a heart attack and was in St. Francis Medical Center. I want to praise Betty, a housekeeper there. She works the night shift. I used to work as a hospital housekeeper myself. I know it's a rough job from experience. Betty would always come in smiling and asking me how my mother was doing. I would see her clean until there couldn't be any dirt anywhere. Most of all I like the way she was being social with my family. I think St. Francis ought to be joyous to have such a great employee.
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Unholy alliance
THE UNHOLY alliance between Republicans and Libertarians is somewhat undermined by Libertarian James Nall's courageous and correct critique of multinational corporations.
A positive effect
IT WAS recently reported that a sociological study concluded that participation in organized religion boosts the self-esteem of young people. As an instructor in an area parochial school, my interest is not primarily in tooting the horn of the institution where I teach but to provide anecdotal evidence testifying as to the absolute truthfulness of the study's conclusion. I have seen this positive effect on students time and time and time again.
Freedom's choice
MY COMMENT is to the caller who tried to say Jesus was a liberal. Jesus never forced his ideas on anyone. A person is free to take them or reject them. Liberals always force people to accept their ideas, and that's the rub. If I want to spend my money to help the poor, that's OK, and if I don't want to help them then, that's also OK. That's what freedom is about, doing what you want and not what someone thinks you should do.
Hiring young, old
I HAVE employed several people over the past 12 years. I can tell you that anyone can surprise you. I have hired many older people who have saved me a lot of time and money because they had an outstanding work ethic and a lot of experience. I have often hired young people with piercings and tattoos and brightly colored hair who couldn't get a job because people judged them on outward appearance who have also had an outstanding work ethic and a fantastic, energetic attitude. Have I been burned? Yes. What did I do? I documented inappropriate behavior and stated expectations of proper behavior in the work place and held them to it young and old. As long as you do that, you will not have a problem.
Saving history
WHAT IS the point of having a historical preservation committee if the city is not going to help finance and promote it? The city leaders need to figure out why these tour groups are stopping in downtown. When all the old buildings and hotels are destroyed by the wrecking ball and all that's left is an empty lot, it will be too late.
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