SPEAKOUT

Lawnmower is like music

THIS IS in regards to the person calling in about the baseball games and lawn mowing. I am just one of many people who would rather hear a lawnmower running than hear a baseball game, a football game, a basketball game, the whole bit. Just one of many. The lawnmower sounds good.

Speedier taxi service?

I WOULD like to voice my opinion on our taxi service here in Cape Girardeau. Over the six to eight months, I've had different occasions to witness people waiting on taxi cabs. Most of the time it's older people calling from doctors' offices or different places in town. I've seen that frequently they wait a long time. These are old people who depend on the taxi system here in Cape Girardeau. I think for as many taxis as there are and the price they charge, they ought to be able to get these people serviced quicker than what they are. And it's nice to see occasionally when they help someone with their packages or an older person with a cane or a walker or something like that, where they come and help them get from the door into the taxi. I know that may not be their job, but it does a lot for customer appreciation and makes me feel better to see someone taking the time to help those older people. But I am really disappointed in the time lag between when they are called and when they have come to help people.

Teach the basics

EVERYTHING THAT I've read in the paper or when I've heard Dr. Tallent recently talk at our club is mentioned about putting computers and newest technologies in the classroom. They act as if that will give our kids such a great education. Let me tell you about my experience. My daughter went through the Cape schools. She made the honor roll throughout school. When she got to college she didn't know how to organize a paper and knew nothing about grammar. She had a terrible time. My wife and I realize that after elementary grades she received almost no grammar, and her writing was in journals which did not prepare her for college. My son is now finished with elementary, and the situation is even worse. He is not bringing home any work in grammar. He mainly has worksheets and literature. Other parents that I've talked to are having the same experience. They are concerned that their kids don't know the basic skills like fractions and percentages and have a problem with writing and do not know their grammar. It is not the computers or the buildings that give a good education. It is the teachers and their curriculum. I will vote no on the bond issue unless I see a shift back to the basics.

Unreliable information

I HAVE a comment about the parent who says her 13-year-old child went to a party of a respectable family and there were pills. Well, what's so respectable about a family that's going to offer pills? Second of all, the person said marijuana is often sprayed with chemicals to enhance an inferior product. I thought the big argument was it was getting more potent. What is going on with that? I don't think there's any marijuana that's being sprayed with chemicals. If so, what are these chemicals? The caller said we owe it to them to provide information that is reliable. Well, this information doesn't seem reliable, because I don't see where the chemicals in marijuana are coming from.

More on partisan politics

I HAVE just finished reading the article about Jake Fisher playing Republican politics at the Delta Center in Portageville. I am still laughing in disgust at Jake's statement, "I haven't done anything wrong." I lived in Portageville from 1986 to 1995. In addition, an immediate member of my family worked at the Delta Center from 1986 to 1995. Ever since the former superintendent of the Delta Center, Joe Scott, died suddenly of a heart attack in 1989, Mr. Fisher has abused his position at the Delta Center. Playing Republican partisan politics is just one of many types of abuse that have occurred. One may also ask the question, why was Jake Fisher put into the position as superintendent of the Delta Center when he only has a high school degree? He has no college degree, when all the other superintendents at the University of Missouri Research/Experimental Station throughout Missouri have a minimum of a master's degree and most of the superintendents have a Ph.D. Could this be partisan politics?

Union, company work together

WE SURE hope and pray that Procter & Gamble selects Cape County for their major expansion program. After reading your editorials, we agree with your paper to a point on your latest article, but mention should be made of the labor peace that P&G has enjoyed for the last 13 years with their union contracts. No strikes, walkoffs or labor slow downs for this time. This again, is management and union working together to form a very profitable and enjoyable working condition. We feel that our actions are paramount and will ensure more than assist in this new expansion program with the P&G people for this new program.

Offer to mow the lawn

I'VE GOT a deal for the rabid St. Louis Cardinals fan who doesn't want people to mow their lawn while he's watching the game. You find out what time is convenient for this lawn to be mowed and you offer to mow it then and we have got a deal.

Paying our own way

IT IS simply not right for every working person in this country to pay for something some individual wants to pursue, whether it be in the field of the arts, medicine or what have you. If an individual wants to be a musician, an actor, a portrait painter badly enough, he'll find a way to do it and pay for it out of his own pocket like we used to do.

Great place to work

I HEAR one of the reasons Jackson city employees are wanting a union is because they are unhappy about their health insurance program. I don't know of any other place that pays 100 percent of an employees family's health coverage, then as an extra bonus, pays them back all of their deductible except $100. I think the city of Jackson is being very generous. I wonder if one of those unhappy employees would like to give me their job. Sounds like a good place to work to me.

Smoking and dining out

TO THE inconsiderate smoker who seems to think it's OK to annoy non-smokers in restaurants because you just can't wait until you get outside to light up. No. 1, you miss a lot of good dining because of the non-smoking restaurants which of course you don't patronize. No. 2, it takes a lack of upbringing to intentionally irk people by puffing on cigarettes. No. 3, you should quit smoking. It's easy. Thousands quit everyday after they find out they have lung cancer.

Burning and breathing

ABOUT global warming. The scientist blamed increased carbon dioxide due to vehicles. Could it also be due to more burning in clearing forests in the Southern Hemisphere? Also the increase of population and the more animals needed for meat and milk would increase carbon dioxide from their breathing. In the western United States, more irrigation waters diverted to cities causing fewer plants to use up the carbon dioxide. How much global warming have we had since the last ice age about 10,000 years ago? Perhaps that influence is still effective.

Don't be sore losers

I WOULD just like to say I agree with Marty Mishow about the rude behavior of the Jackson supporters during the Cape Central game at Farmington last week. I'm from Jackson and am extremely embarrassed by this. Central had a superior team and was a class act. Jackson supporters, come on, let's try not to be sore losers next time.

Time to upgrade schools

I'M CALLING in response to the person who said they didn't want to lose the neighbor school. I'd rather lose the school than the neighborhood. These schools are old and rundown. They're not safe for our children. People who really care for their children's education will eventually move to a better school district with a better school. It's time our town made some advancements. I can't think of a better place than with our children's future. The better the environment, the more they are capable of learning. Not only will our children benefit, but I believe Cape Girardeau, as a city, will thrive on these improvements. That's why I'm going to vote yes. I think it's worth it.

Arts in the schools

I SEE in the paper where the federal government is going to give the Cape Girardeau schools $500,000 for the arts, and they're starting by teaching them to dance. That is absolutely one of the worst wastes of money that I have ever seen in my life. All kinds of people are hurting for groceries, and Cape Girardeau is going to get $500,000 to teach some kids the arts. That makes my backside hurts.

Suggested starting point

I THINK that the letter from Scott City advocating that the government should censor and limit radical, dangerous and racist groups has a great idea. My suggestion is to start with the Democratic Party.

Death-penalty column

YOUR YOUNG writing staff are all outstanding writers but Scott Moyers out did himself in this column concerning the death penalty. Imperfect but still worth keeping. It was thoughtful, perceptive, well written and best of all, quoted an authority. He quoted an authority in the form of Morley Swingle, our prosecuting attorney. Certainly worth reading and re-reading.

Leasing to communists

I WOULD not have believe it if I had not read it in the news. The U.S. is now leasing a naval base to communist China? What do these people think they were elected to do? To sell our country out to these communist countries? This takes the cake. Leasing a navel base, military installation to a communist country so they can in turn fill our ports with foreign made junk and put our people out of work? The politicians are at it again. Anything to harp about except to run the country on the campaign money-raising trail. If it isn't this, it's Newt Gingrich, arguing and fussing about anything but getting down to business and doing what they were elected to do, run this country for the best of the American citizen and leasing these military bases to these communist countries is sure not in my book, protecting our country.