SPEAKOUT

What goes around comes around

TO WHOEVER keyed my new red Chevrolet pickup truck in front of the Cape bowling lanes last Friday night. I just want you to know that I have worked very hard and am working hard to pay for my truck, and you came along and did a great amount of damage to it. That really hurts me, and it's very obvious as to how you were raised. Maybe someday someone will damage something you own and like. Only then will you realize what you have done. What goes around comes around.

Take care of Saddam Hussein

I WANT to speak out about this Saddam Hussein deal. If we had a good president at the time, we wouldn't have to worry about it. If we go over there again, we ought to blow him away.

More buses needed in Jackson

I READ in Wednesday's paper that there were no plans to buy additional buses for students in Jackson. The article also stated the new bus routes will cause students to ride buses a little longer. The bus stops at my house now between 6:20 and 6:30 a.m. and does not arrive at my children's school until 7:50 a.m. That's 1 1/2 hours being on the bus, which I believe is much too early and much too long to ask children to ride the bus. If I can leave my house and be in St. Louis before the bus delivers my children to their school in Jackson, I think it's time to buy more buses.

Republican letdown on partial-birth abortions

I AM so upset with the Republican Party. Last month, the Republican National Committee met in California. It voted 114-43 to allow funding of Republican candidates who support partial-birth abortions. This is disgusting, particularly in light of the fact the Republican Party has had a pro-life plank in its platform. The platform, I guess, means nothing to these Republicans. Also upsetting are the people who voted for this measure. They included Henry Hyde, Jack Kemp, Bob Dole, Phil Gramm, Texas Gov. George Bush and Steve Forbes. From Missouri, all three committeemen voted to support partial-birth abortion. They were Woody Cozad, Mr. Selek and Roberta Capps. What has happened to the Republican Party? No wonder there are more and more defections every day. I just read where Grover Coors, the great-grandson of Adolf Coors of Colorado, just left the Republican Party and joined the U.S. Taxpayer Party. Now I read in an Associated Press story from Seattle that says the 1996 Republican governor candidate Ellen Craswell is planning to leave the Republicans and join -- you guessed it -- the U.S. Taxpayer Party. This is upsetting to me. I've been a Republican all my life, and now I too will take a look at this Taxpayer Party.

Taxpayers have a big load already

ACCORDING TO the news on the front page of the paper, the taxpayers of Cape Girardeau have a lot to look forward to. First our mayor stated that they're thinking about extending the transportation tax. And then we see where one councilman wants to float a bond issue to tear down the St. Francis Hospital and the Marquette Hotel. And they also want a bond issue to expand the police station. It sounds to me like Mel Carnahan is running Cape Girardeau. All they think about lately is taxes. And if this last round of tax increases wasn't enough, then the taxpayers are in trouble in this city. It's already to the point that people can't hardly pay their taxes from this last tax increase we had. I think they need to work on something else. It's not the taxpayers place to pay to have these buildings torn down. Make the owners tear them down, not the taxpayers.

Canadian deserved his gold medal

I AM overjoyed that the Canadian young man who won the gold medal in snowboarding was not stripped of his gold just because he smoked marijuana. I say if they took away the non-smokers from the smokers, the world would be lucky to be left with Pope Paul.