SPEAKOUT

Pick up the litter

OUR STATE and particularly our town need a deposit on all aluminum cans. We also need a fast-food soda-container deposit as well. All the fast-food containers should be plastic, and there should be a deposit on them. We need homeowners who, when they come home in the evening, pick up the litter and trash around their homes. We need business owners who, when they go to work in the morning, pick up the trash around their businesses. Then maybe kids in our city will see adults who have pride in their businesses and homes. There's still going to be people who throw trash around, but we're just going to have make the effort to pick up after them. Our town could be a lot better. It's not a community. We could do a lot better.

He's just not qualified

AL GORE is for abortion and diverse lifestyles and supports a corrupt president and Clinton's immorality. He does not qualify for a president for America. He represents all that is immoral about our country.

How sweet it is

I WANT to say to Southeast Missouri State University and Coach Gary Garner: Congratulations! You won the game! To Murray State: How sweet it is! On to the Final Four!

Tax cuts lead the way

IN A recent six-page slick brochure from a bank with which I have some investments in Richmond, Va., there was a treatment of the post-war economic expansions. It dealt with the beginning date of October 1945 and wound up in March 1991. They broke that time period down into about 10 segments and showed the number of months in which economic expansions were the greatest. First one was February 1961 to December 1969. There were 106 months following JFK's tax cuts. The next one was 1980 up to the 1990s, which was 104 months following Reagan's tax cuts. The 1990s period is a continued expansion from what Reagan started, and it is presided over by a Republican Congress which is keeping this expansion going. All the rest of the periods of time in this study were presided over by a Democratic Congress, and none of them had more than 39 months of expansion. The tax cuts of Kennedy and Reagan were the two primary factors in U.S. economic expansion since World War II up until today. I thought this might prove interesting to some of these naysayers who say that across-the-board tax cuts won't help.

Attention is richly deserved

I WANT to thank the Southeast Missourian for the wonderful picture on the front page of the Sunday paper. In this great picture, three young men, Thomas, Mott and Morris, got the publicity that they so richly deserved for their hard work with the SEMO basketball team.

New campaign slogan

COACH GARNER for president!

Hedge your political bets

TOM NEUMEYER was correct when he stated this area has been left high and dry many times due to not having been represented by the majority party in both the House and Senate. The simple fact is, it is hard for the Republican-dominated Southeast Missouri delegation to get legislation through in a Democrat-dominated House and Senate. We also have a Democratic governor. The chance of all this changing in November to Republican is minimal, no matter what state Sen. Peter Kinder says. So why don't we hedge our bets and elect a Democrat to Jefferson City? Of course, that is too logical. Only abortion and gun control matter here, and we know all Democrats are liberal atheists. We'll probably elect a Republican to Jefferson City again. And next March our city leaders will wonder why no one is interested in helping Cape Girardeau, Southeast MIssouri State University and the area called Southeast Missouri.

What was the point?

SAM BLACKWELL, what's your point? I don't understand. Was this not a music review? Or is this your attempt at being politically correct? Lynyrd Skynyrd has always shown the Confederate flag long before you wrote your little article. I have a relatively good idea about Lynyrd Skynyrd, but I'm not as sure about you.

You've been defined

I'M CALLING about something I heard on NPR this morning. I guess the Democratic position now on the family is, if you believe in just a man and a woman as making a marriage, then you are a gay basher. I guess for all of you people out there who believe that marriage should involve only a man and a woman, then you're a gay basher. That's what you've been defined as.

No more fiscal deadbeats

THE ONLY way you can decrease taxes, balance the budget and increase military spending is with mirrors. That is what it would take. This was the truth that was feted by John Anderson in 1980 when he ran for president as a disaffected Republican. People know what happened after this. The national debt was less than $1 trillion when this was stated. And after the Reagan/Bush smoke and mirrors, the debt has more than quadrupled under two Republican presidents. Now we have another Bush trying to foist off on the public what John Anderson said in 1980 could only be done with mirrors. I don't want these fiscal deadbeats to foist off any more debt onto our kids and grandkids.

A change of mind

WOULD THE Ohio Valley coaches like to change their vote on the all-star team and the coach of the year? You bet they would.

Expand existing schools

I AM opposed to the proposed Jackson School District bond issue. The existing schools were built to have additional classrooms added on. The junior high could use some classrooms, but the gym was completely refurbished three years ago with new floor and new seating. I think our district should cut back on expenses. For example, the board just approved over $10,000 for foreign-language classes to communicate with kids in other countries via e-mail. I thought the Internet was pretty much for free. It's already accessible, with a few more computers. There's a lot of wasteful spending. We need to oppose the bond issues and get some new blood into the school board.

Don't park in drop-off zone

THIS IS a little FYI for the parents of Blanchard Elementary students. When you bring your child and you're going to park and take them in, use the parking spaces that are provided outside the front of the school. That's what they're there for. Please don't park in the drop-off lane. This causes a traffic buildup, and cars have to dart in and out. The beginning of the year at the new school, the school did send home a note for the safety of our children explaining the procedure to be used for the drop-off zone. Maybe this explains why our children don't listen to rules: Because their parents don't listen to rules. I know there are other parents out there who feel the same as I do. If you're going to park and go in, use the parking places reserved for that. Don't park in the drop-off zone.

I wasn't speeding either

THIS IS in reference to the lady who was pulled over and ticketed for speeding when she wasn't. That also happened to me. I couldn't understand why I was being pulled over. I thought perhaps my taillight was out or something. What is going on here? I agree with this lady. The City Council needs to look into this.

Concerned about school board

I HAVE never voted against a Jackson school bond issue. For an area so ready to claim to be conservative as Cape County and Jackson, I'm amazed at how liberal the school board has become. They remind me of our nation's capital. They too are handing other people's money: ours. We vote to build schools that can be added on to. They get what they want, and they do what they please after a vote, as in buying new property to build another elementary school. Again, acting like our Congress. They know we know we need to add on to our junior high. So what do they do? They attach a bunch of goodies so that we don't dare question or challenge them and vote no. This is the same method the slick liberals in Washington use on bills they need to pass. That's how special interest works in our society with our tax dollars. Lighting the soccer field is a special interest of a school board member. Years ago he sent letters to young students and encouraged them to come to a board meeting with balloons and banners, demanding they get what they want. No, I am not against soccer. Part of learning is that you do not always get everything you want. I am concerned about the arrogance of the board these past few years. They seem to take care of themselves. I am concerned at their attitude in regard to their credibility of the character of students and their ability to represent our school. Jackson has a good reputation. Let us ask for high standards of conduct and not the minimum. All teachers strive to have their students do the best they can. No teacher should ever teach them to settle for the minimum. That holds true in classwork, conduct and character.

Reasons to support Bush

IN ANSWER to Chris Matthews' column, I went to the polls Tuesday and voted for Bush for these reasons: During McCain's political life, he has used the big corporations to promote his political life. On issues important to me as a conservative, McCain has repeatedly voted with the Democrats. Bush has a good tax-cut proposal that will benefit middle-income people such as myself.

Angels on the third floor

Angels walk on this earth, believe it to be true or not. But I know. For 12 days. I talked with them and cried with them a lot. They live mostly on the third floor of a hospital called Southeast. The angels' names are Linda, Kathy, Marshall, Michelle, Don, Kenta, Lisa and on and on and on and on. They're angels in a hurry. They're angels who let you to know you're going to be OK when you're afraid to see another day. Thank you for making me to see that everything's going to be right as snow as long as I confide in angels always on the go. And thank God for Dr. LaFoe.

Something to think about

WHY IS it that when there's a rumor that OPEC is going to cut production, the gas prices go up the same day, sometimes the same hour. But they're saying now that OPEC is going to increase production. Consumers shouldn't expect to see any prices go down at the pumps until the end of summer. This is a point to ponder.

Let's be more tolerant

SPEAKING ABOUT flags, this issue is interesting. Even the review of a very good concert had a paragraph about the Confederate flag. Until the last few years, that flag was referred to as the rebel's flag. The inference was an independent spirit. The Civil War was also partly about states' rights. We honor the U.S flag, and I believe in that as an Army retiree. But there are other things we can focus on to correct. It has been brought out as a political issue. Let's allow others their symbols. Let's accept each other and not just go by an outer appearance.

Future accountability

I THINK the 6-year-old boy who shot his classmate should be held accountable when he's older and someway have to make retribution when he's able to understand. Otherwise, his conscience may never be clear, or he may never be able to live with himself.